Nicola Coughlan revealed how she discovered a major plot twist about her character Bridgerton.
(Warning: This piece contains spoilers!)
The Galway native stars as the lovable Penelope Featherington in the hit Netflix series, with her character proving to be a huge hit with fans of the show.
Set in early 19th Century London, the series follows eight close-knitted siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family, as they attempt to find love.
Julie Andrews narrates the eight-part series as Lady Whistledown, an anonymous writer who’s regular column details the most scandalous gossip in the world of Regency London high society.
Throughout the season, viewers were kept guessing as to the identity of the mysterious writer, with the finale finally unveiling Penelope as the unsuspecting gossip columnist.
Speaking to Variety, Nicola revealed she discovered her character’s secret via an online forum.
She explained: “When I went for the first audition, I only had a couple of days to prepare; I didn’t have time to read the books or do anything like that. I just thought, ‘I’ll give this a go and if I get a second call, then I’ll read everything.'”
“But that didn’t happen, I just got the job. So then it was like, ‘I’d better read these books and figure out who this character is.’
“I also went to a lot of the fan forums online, because these books have been out for 20 years. People adore them and have such a connection to them. Penelope is really close to their hearts.
“It was on a forum that I realised she was Lady Whistledown. When I saw it, I thought, ‘No, no, no, no, that can’t be right.’
“I kept re-reading it, because it didn’t make sense: [I’m] being given this amazing role in a Shondaland-Netflix show, and it’s that role. It’s quite mind-blowing,” the Derry Girls star admitted.
The news comes after executive producer Chris Van Dusen hinted that a second season could be on the way, admitting that there are more stories to be explored.
“Obviously we’re just focused on the first season right now,” he told Cosmopolitan UK.
“And while that focuses on the eldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne and her love affair with Simon, we know there are eight Bridgerton siblings [and] there are eight Bridgerton books.
“So in success I would love to be able to explore love stories and romances for all the Bridgerton brothers and sisters, of course.”
