Everything We Know About Nicola Coughlan (AKA Penelope in ‘Bridgerton’)

On Netflix’sBridgerton, Irish actress Nicola Coughlan plays Penelope “Pen” Featherington, an intelligent young woman who was born into a family who doesn’t understand her. But IRL, Coughlan, 35, seems far less reserved than her character on the show—and just as delightful. Here are a few things you need to know about this petite powerhouse.

When she was just five years old, Coughlan caught a glimpse of her big sister performing in a school play, and it was love at first sight. She went on to study at the Oxford School of Drama and Birmingham School of Acting. And while it took years to get her career off the ground, she finally got her big break in 2018. Which brings us to our next fact…

我们都知道,考夫兰扮演佩内洛普Rhimes's popular period drama, which follows the competitive world of Regency London high society. But earlier in her career, she landed a main role in the British sitcomDerry Girls, where she played the ambitious (and risk-averse) Clare Devlin. In addition, she starred inHarlotsas Hannah Dalton and made guest appearances in shows likeThe Great Christmas/Festive Bake OffandRuPaul's Drag Race UK.

Since Coughlanfirst posted a picwithQueer Eyestar Jonathan Van Ness in January 2019, the two have celebrated holidays together and recorded an episode of Van Ness's podcast,Getting Curious. Of Coughlan, JVNwrote, "Nicola is not only a brilliant actress but she’s an advocate & fearless ally!"

In case you missed it, the actress penned a passionate essay forThe Guardianback in 2018, where she voiced her frustration with critics who constantly criticize her body instead of her work. In the piece, she wrote, “Women in my industry are put under constant scrutiny for their looks. It affects male actors as well…[but] something in our society tells us that women’s bodies are fair game for scrutiny in a way that men’s simply are not.

Coughlan echoed the same sentiment during her chat withThe Guardianin 2020, when she said, “We try and reduce women to the size of their body and there’s so much more than that.”*Mic drop*

In 2019, the actress was joined by fellowDerry Girlsactress, Siobhan McSweeney, to raise awareness about women who didn’t have access to abortion. She led a march where each person carried her own suitcase, signifying the 28 women who traveled to England each week to do the procedure. Coughlan told葛拉齐亚, “Women are being treated like criminals in their own country.”

主编还补充说,“这是neglec的问题t. It might seem like a silly stunt with suitcases, but it is drawing attention to the fact that people are incredibly ignorant…If we can raise the awareness that people have about the North, that’s all we can do.”

Coughlan is one of those comedic actors, who's funny both on-screen and off-screen. She’s positively hilarious on social media—especially on Twitter. She has quickly become a must-follow forgems like the one above. Relatable content, amirite?