Nicola Coughlan
Nicola Mary Coughlan is an Irish actress. She is known for her roles as Clare Devlin in the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls and Penelope Featherington in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton. She earned a Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination for playing the lead role of Penelope Featherington in the third season of Bridgerton. Coughlan earned a British Academy Television Awards nomination for her role as Maggie Donovan in Big Mood (2024–present). Coughlan was born on 9 January 1987 in Galway, Ireland, and grew up in Oranmore. The youngest of three siblings, her father served in the Irish Army before passing away in 2016, and her mother was a stay-at-home parent. At the age of five, while watching her sister perform in a school play, Coughlan decided she wanted to become an actress. She attended Scoil Mhuire Primary School and Calasanctius College. She graduated with a degree in English and Classical Civilisation from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She then went on to train in England at the Oxford School of Drama and Birmingham School of Acting.
Filmography (32 titles)
MovieNational Theatre Live: The Playboy of the Western World
Pegeen Mike · 2026
6.2MovieThe Magic Faraway Tree
Silky · 2026
4.2ShowSaturday Night Live UK
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · 2026
8.1MovieGOAT
Olivia Burke (voice) · 2026
5.6MovieSeize Them!
Humble Joan · 2024
5.7ShowBig Mood
Maggie · 2024
5.4ShowRob Beckett's Smart TV
Self - Guest · 2024
6.7MovieAn Audience with Kylie
Self · 2023
10.0MovieDodger Special: Coronation
Queen Victoria · 2023
6.9MovieThe Velveteen Rabbit
Playroom Fairy (voice) · 2023
6.9MovieBarbie
Barbie · 2023
7.0ShowRhod Gilbert's Growing Pains
Guest · 2021
5.7ShowThe Netflix Afterparty
Self · 2021
ShowTaskmaster’s New Year Treat
Self · 2021
8.1ShowBridgerton
Penelope Featherington · 2020
7.1ShowRuPaul's Drag Race UK
Self - Guest Judge · 2019
6.3ShowThe Kelly Clarkson Show
Self · 2019
8.1ShowDerry Girls
Clare Devlin · 2018
5.3ShowThe Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
Self · 2017
7.4ShowHarlots
Hannah Dalton · 2017
ShowMovies with Ali Plumb
Self · 2016
5.1ShowLate Night with Seth Meyers
Self · 2014
5.3MovieSvengali
Club Girl · 2013
5.4MovieIvan the Incredible
Lottie -English (voice) · 2012
5.0ShowWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · 2009
MovieSummer of the Flying Saucer
Janis Voice · 2008
7.8ShowWould I Lie to You?
Self · 2007
7.2ShowThe Graham Norton Show
Self · 2007
7.5ShowThe Fairytaler
voice · 2004
The Phantom Cnut
Katie · 2004