Nicola Coughlan, who is set to play a major role in the upcoming Season 3 of “Bridgerton” on Netflix, penned a letter similar to Lady Whistledown's to introduce this phase of her career.
The letter, created for the Harper’s Bazaar UK UK May cover, explains Coughlan's feelings about the shift from being seen as unconventional to being at the forefront of attention.
“One aspect of my job that I enjoy is stepping into the spotlight and expressing how proud I am to be a part of this project, and how much it would mean for the world to embrace it as much as I do! And along with this comes scrutiny. So much scrutiny,” Coughlan expressed. “Thankfully, I have a surefire way to avoid scrutiny as a woman in the industry!”
The “Derry Girls” star then outlined a list of ironic principles, underscoring the criticism that women in the entertainment industry face as they grow older. Her emphasized guidelines include: “Always remain 22 years old,” because “you’re not allowed to age beyond this;” “Be a sample size,” and “being aware that in every interview you will have to discuss your figure rather than your work;” and “You must have a sparkling personality,” as “in this industry, men may not be penalized for being abusers, but women will be criticized for saying something slightly annoying in an interview.”
“Look, I can’t help being facetious,” Coughlan added. “As much as I love what I do, handling all the scrutiny isn’t easy, and fame is a very unusual result of doing my job.”
The actress also explained the challenge of transitioning from Penelope’s previous quiet and unobtrusive position to stepping into the spotlight, something she was filled with uncertainty about. She also discussed filming Season 3 of “Bridgerton” and her Channel 4 comedy “Big Mood” concurrently, with a month of shoots overlapping.
“Do I find it harder to share my work when I know there will be more and more attention on me? Absolutely,” Coughlan continued. “At the time of writing, only two clips of the new series of ‘Bridgerton’ have been released into the world, and the response has been… actually, amazing. I prepared myself for negative comments, and when they were so positive, I was surprised.”
“Bridgerton” Season 3, Part 1 premieres on Netflix on May 16.
