Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan Gets Real: "I Cried a Lot" on Set

“I cried a lot,” Nicola Coughlan confessed, and she’s not holding back. The Bridgerton star opened up about her emotional journey while filming the Netflix sensation, revealing that the tears flowed freely on set.

During a candid chat on the popular podcast Dish from Waitrose, the 39-year-old Irish actress, known for her role as Penelope Featherington, shared the highs and lows of juggling multiple projects, including her work on Derry Girls and Big Mood. “Bridgerton is always a lovely job to come back to,” she said, but it’s no walk in the park. “It’s exhausting,” she added, especially when filming overlapped with her other commitments.

“We did Bridgerton for eight months, and by the end, I was bouncing between shows like a pinball,” she joked. “One week on Bridgerton, one week on Big Mood, then back to Bridgerton for the weekend. I felt like I didn’t know my a--e from my elbow!”

But amidst the chaos, Coughlan found gratitude. “Deep down, I was like, ‘This is what you want to be doing. You’re so lucky,’” she reflected. “Sure, I was tired, but it was all worth it.”

Her emotional outbursts? “Crying’s not bad,” she insisted. “It’s just your body saying, ‘I’m really tired!’ But you push through.” She emphasized the importance of letting those tears flow, especially when you’re leading not one but two shows. “It’s important to let the tears out sometimes,” she said with conviction.

As for Bridgerton’s upcoming season five? “They’re working super hard, and I’m just like, coming back!” she teased, hinting at the excitement brewing behind the scenes.

In a humorous twist, Coughlan revealed her desire for a clean version of Bridgerton to watch with her mother. “Netflix was like, ‘No one gets that…you can do it for yourself on Final Cut Pro,’” she laughed. Talk about family-friendly viewing!

Her mom’s reactions? Priceless. “I get told off quite a lot,” Coughlan admitted. “Even with Derry Girls, she was shocked by the swearing! I didn’t even write it!”

And let’s not forget that jaw-dropping moment in the first episode of Bridgerton—“There’s a bare bottom within two-and-a-half minutes!” she exclaimed. Her mother thought it was Downton Abbey. “I was like, ‘It’s not quite that!’”