NICOLA Coughlan isn’t taking fame for granted since hitting the big time on Bridgerton as Penelope Featherington.
The actress - who rose to popularity as Clare Devlin in Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls before joining the Netflix series in 2020 - plays the leading lady in the new season, which airs on Thursday.
But it wasn’t that long ago that she was working a very normal 9 to 5, behind the tills of a dessert shop.
In fact, before her first major TV appearance, Nicola, 37, worked a series of jobs to keep herself afloat as she looked for acting work.
She admitted to the Radio Times: “I lived a whole life before any of this happened.
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“I worked a million different jobs, lived in different places, in terrible house shares with mould on the walls.
“It’s funny because people see you at fancy events and think you must be fancy.
“I was making frozen yoghurt in Westfield not long ago. This is not normal for me.”
The new series of Bridgerton has been tipped to be the sexiest yet - with Penelope Featherington and love interest Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton, finally making it to the bedroom.
But it wasn’t awkward for the pair, who insist they enjoyed working together in the intimate setting.
Nicola added: “It was definitely intimidating, but it was one of the things I enjoyed most.
“We had agency and could let it flow. Thankfully, we had that physical comfort with one another – so it ended up being a really beautiful thing. Luke is a dream to work with.”
The actress had very little worries about bearing all in front of the camera, despite formerly having to shut down show fans for commenting on her body on social media.
She said: “This industry can be very narrow-minded. Within reason, anyone can play anything.
“I would never feel like I couldn’t do something. You can change your accent. You can change your hair.
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You can change your build! If I’m going to play a bodybuilder, I’m going to go to the gym and get hench!
“People can feel hemmed in – but I feel like I’ve refused to be thus far and I’m going to continue to do so.”
Bridgerton returns to Netflix in two parts on May 16 and June 13.
