Nicola Coughlan

Nicola Mary Coughlan (born 9 January 1987 in Galway, Ireland) is an Irish actress widely celebrated for her nuanced performances in both comedy and drama. Growing up in the coastal town of Oranmore as the youngest of four children, she was inspired to act at the age of five after watching her sister on stage, later attending Scoil Mhuire Primary School and Calasanctius College before earning a degree in English and Classical Civilisation from NUI Galway. Determined to hone her craft, Coughlan trained at the Oxford School of Drama and the Birmingham School of Acting, experiences that shaped her versatile technique and prepared her for a challenging early career that included an uncredited film role at age nine and numerous voice‑over projects for animated series such as The Fairytales and Thor: Legend of the Magical Hammer. After a period of financial hardship that saw her return home from London and work part‑time at an optician, Coughlan's breakthrough arrived with the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls (2018‑2022), where she portrayed the witty teenager Clare Devlin, a role that earned the series record‑breaking viewership on Netflix and cemented her status as a leading comedy talent. In 2020 she joined the Netflix period drama Bridgerton as Penelope Featherington, a character whose secret love story became a cultural touchstone and garnered Coughlin a Screen Actors Guild nomination and multiple award nods. Her dramatic range expanded with the critically acclaimed Channel 4 dramedy Big Mood (2024‑present), where she plays Maggie Donovan, a bipolar protagonist whose performance secured her first British Academy Television Award nomination. Beyond the screen, Coughlan is an outspoken activist for women's rights, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ equality, having participated in high‑profile campaigns from abortion decriminalisation in Northern Ireland to fundraising for Gaza relief. She also narrates audiobooks, lends her voice to animated specials, and serves as an ambassador for LauraLynn Ireland's Children’s Hospice, reflecting a career that blends artistic excellence with committed social advocacy.