Nicola Coughlan has revealed the biggest downside of being famous.
The Irish actress is best known for playing Penelope Featherington in Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton, and Clare Devlin in the popular Irish sitcom Derry Girls.
Before the release of Bridgerton’s third season, in which her character will take centre stage, the 37-year-old has opened up about the negative aspects of being in the public eye.
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar UK, the Galway native said fame “doesn’t come with a handbook” and is a “learning curve every day”.
Nicola confessed “all the scrutiny isn’t easy, and fame is a very strange consequence of doing my job”.
“I have so much love and respect for the fans of things I’ve done – I want them to know that I feel grateful – but it is difficult to navigate being online when people throw their opinions of you at you like grenades,” she explained.
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The Netflix star also said she feels a “deep responsibility” when it comes to the content she shares on social media.
“I feel a deep responsibility, because of how privileged I am, to speak up and try to amplify voices and causes,” she continued.
“Social media has made the world a dangerously binary place; the ‘If you support X, you hate Y’ narrative is not something I am interested in, and I’ll do my best to fight against that notion.
“While I still get trolls who say terrible things to me, don’t forget, I used to be in a cult called Twitter. I’ve heard worse.”
Ahead of her character Penelope taking centre stage in the third season of Bridgerton, which will follow her romance with Colin Bridgerton, Nicola confessed she’s still bewildered by her role in the series.
“I’m in disbelief that I’m the leading lady in a romance show,” she admitted.
“And it’s not because I find myself hideous, as some people have assumed when I say that.”
Nicola joked “in the right lighting I’m a solid seven” but said playing the lead was “not something I ever dreamed of”.
Reflecting on how much her life has changed since Bridgerton premiered in 2020, Nicola added: “When I look back at my life over the last few years, it’s hard to fathom how much it’s changed.
“In 2017, I was working part time in an opticians, about to turn 30, living at home with my parents, unsure whether the whole ‘acting thing’ was ever going to happen or whether I was completely kidding myself.
“Now, in 2024, I’m about to begin a global press tour for one of Netflix’s biggest-ever shows. It’s hard for me to comprehend it.
“The funny thing is, I don’t feel any different to the girl who used to ring people up and tell them they’re overdue for their eye test.”
