Nicola Coughlan

Nicola Coughlan, an Irish actress, has earned recognition through roles in globally popular TV shows such as Channel 4's "Derry Girls" and Netflix's "Bridgerton". Her career began with an uncredited role in the film "My Brother's War" in 1997, but her breakthrough came in 2018 when she began playing Clare Devlin in "Derry Girls". That same year, she made her debut on London's West End in The Donmar Warehouse's production of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". Coughlan's acclaim continued to grow in 2019 when she was cast as Penelope Featherington in the Netflix period drama "Bridgerton".

In addition to her work in film and television, Coughlan has been active in the theatre, voicing characters in audio adaptations, and even appearing on popular reality shows like "The Great British Bake Off". She has also been successful in lending her voice to animated films and TV shows. Her talents have further been recognized with an Rising Star Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards and nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Off West End Awards. In 2023, Coughlan portrayed Queen Victoria in the "Dodger" Christmas special, and she is set to appear in the 2024 "Doctor Who" Christmas special.

Off screen, Coughlan has been vocal about social and political issues. In 2018, she wrote a piece for The Guardian critiquing the unfair scrutiny of women's bodies in theatre criticism. She has also been involved in activism, such as protesting the attempted privatiZation of Channel 4 in 2022 and signing an Artists for Palestine letter in 2023. Additionally, Coughlan has used her platform for philanthropy, auctioning off a dress and raising €5,000 for the Laura Lynn Hospice in 2020. With an upcoming lead role in the Channel 4 sitcom "Big Mood", Coughlan's career continues to flourish.