Nicola Coughlan

Biography

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.

Known For

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Kelly Clarkson Show

GOAT

The Graham Norton Show

Bridgerton

Bridgerton

Barbie

All Movies (13)

• National Theatre Live: The Playboy of the Western World2026 · as Pegeen Mike
• The Magic Faraway Tree2026 · as Silky
• GOAT2026 · as Olivia Burke (voice)
• Seize Them!2024 · as Humble Joan
• An Audience with Kylie2023 · as Self
• Dodger Special: Coronation2023 · as Queen Victoria
• The Velveteen Rabbit2023 · as Playroom Fairy (voice)
• Barbie2023 · as Barbie
• Svengali2013 · as Club Girl
• Ivan the Incredible2012 · as Lottie -English (voice)
• Summer of the Flying Saucer2008 · as Janis Voice
• The Phantom Cnut2004 · as Katie
• My Brother's War1997 · as Little Girl

All TV Shows (21)

• Saturday Night Live UK2026 · as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
• Saturday Night Live UK2026 · as Self - Host
• Big Mood2024 · as Maggie
• Rob Beckett's Smart TV2024 · as Self - Guest
• Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains2021 · as Guest
• The Netflix Afterparty2021 · as Self
• Taskmaster’s New Year Treat2021 · as Self
• Bridgerton2020 · as Penelope Featherington
• Bridgerton2020 · as Penelope Bridgerton
• RuPaul's Drag Race UK2019 · as Self - Guest Judge
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
• Derry Girls2018 · as Clare Devlin
• The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice2017 · as Self
• Harlots2017 · as Hannah Dalton
• Movies with Ali Plumb2016 · as Self
• Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• Would I Lie to You?2007 · as Self
• The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
• The Fairytaler2004 · as voice
• Doctors2000 · as Marie Callaghan