BRIDGERTON Star Nicola Coughlan for TEEN VOGUE Magazine

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In her cover story with TEEN VOGUE, Nicole Coughlan shares what it feels like to finally be the main character. She also discusses her activism, working alongside Luke Newton in the name of #Polin, and her excitement for the new season of BRIDGERTON. Coughlan shares “Now the masks are finally off.” 

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On how some casting directors refused to see her early in her career because of her age: “They said I was too old, and I was in my late 20s then, which is so sad that that would be considered ‘too old.’ In acting it’s all about suspension of disbelief. I always use the same comparison: Ian McKellen isn’t a wizard. I’m not a 19-year-old aristocrat from the 19th century. It’s all made up.”

On waiting for her ‘main character’ moment and identifying with her Bridgerton character, Penelope: “It was such a challenging experience, but one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It’s fun. It’s a show that’s very light and full of joy, and full of drama. But I didn’t expect it to be a profound experience, and it was. I think a lot of Penelope’s story is about her stepping out of the shadows and into the light and taking up her space. I felt like I had to do that as well. It’s funny.”

On confirming she and Luke Newton lounged naked together between intimate Bridgerton scenes: “Yeah, so it’s really funny. That is true. It is a testament to the fact that we just got to a point where we were so comfortable together. We’d just finished the big sex scene, the most intense and involved one… and we just felt relieved.”

On her acting journey and being unable to land a role for a long time: “It was just a washout. I was working in retail and spending all my money on rent, having no time to go to auditions, and not really getting auditions. The ones I was getting were really bad. You feel a bit like a fool. Because it’s such a dream, you’re like, Am I kidding myself? And your family are worried because you’ve got no money and you’re living off ramen noodles.”

Writer: Versha Sharma
Photographer: Deirdre Lewis
Stylist: Carolina Orrico
Hair: Sergio Estrada
Makeup: Daniel Martin

[Photo Credit: Deirdre Lewis for Teen Vogue Magazine]

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