Nicola Coughlan's Bold Move: Embracing Body Positivity in 'Bridgerton'

GettyImages-NicolaCoughlanBridgertonPremiere-2152812918.jpg

Jamie McCarthy

During the filming of Bridgerton's third season, Nicola Coughlan made a special request for more nudity. Coughlan, 37, portrays Penelope Featherton, also known as "Lady Whistledown," in the popular Netflix series. She mentioned in an interview with Stylist magazine on Wednesday, May 15, that she expressed her desire to be nude in a love scene with her costar Luke Newton, who plays Colin Bridgerton.

She explained that she requested specific lines and moments to be included in the scene. One particular scene shows her very naked on camera, which was her own idea and choice.

She felt like it was a powerful statement against the criticism surrounding her body. It was a moment of empowerment for her, making her feel beautiful. Looking back on it, she thought, "When I'm 80, I want to remember how confident and hot I looked!"

Coughlan recently shared with The Los Angeles Times that she felt anxious about filming her first-ever sex scene. The scene required her to wear a strapless thong, which made her nervous. When she tried it on, she looked in the full-length mirror and thought, "Absolutely not." She ended up hiding it at the bottom of the laundry basket, wondering how she would go through with it.

Surprisingly, the experience turned out to be easier than she had anticipated. By the end of the day, both actors were lying under a blanket, not wearing any clothes, just relaxing. They both realized that it wasn't as intimidating as they initially thought, and even joked that it made them understand why nudists do it.

Bridgerton s Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton Tease What Piece of Furniture They ‘Broke’ in Sex Scene 975

Netflix

The romance between Penelope and Colin is a major focus in Bridgerton season 3, now available for streaming starting Thursday, May 16. In earlier seasons, Penelope's character had a secret crush on the younger son of the Bridgerton family.

The new showrunner of Bridgerton, Jess Brownell, has shared the reason for choosing to highlight the relationship between Penelope and Colin this season.

"I believe it's Colin and Penelope's time now. We've been following these two actors since Season 1, so we've already grown attached to them. We understand their characters," she mentioned in 2022. "In the last season, there were moments of tension between them. Colin came close to realizing Penelope's feelings for him, but didn't quite get there. Rather than staying stagnant in that dynamic, we decided to explore it further this season. It felt like the right moment to do so."

Coughlan, known for her role in the British sitcom Derry Girls, was excited to take on a romantic storyline.

"This season with Penelope, I felt like I could relate to a lot of things that were happening in real life," she shared with the L.A. Times. "The theme of her coming out of the shadows and stepping into the spotlight, even though she didn't feel completely prepared - I felt like I had to go through that too."

She went on to say, "It was a tough experience. It was scary. It was healing. It was a mix of emotions. But overall, I really enjoyed it."

Editor's P/S:

Nicola Coughlan