Nicola Coughlan critiques 'reductive' and 'boring' talk about her appearance
Globally known for her portrayal of Penelope Featherington in the hit Netflix series Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan has continuously faced commentary about her body since she first hit our screens as Clare Devlin in Channel 4's Derry Girls.
Most recently, Coughlan was awarded a TIME cover as part of the publication's Next Generation Leaders List as a result of her work in advocacy and 'leading with empathy, challenging the status quo, and forging solutions for a brighter future.'
In recent months, however, Coughlan has come out to address the online discourse over her body and intimate scenes with Luke Paul Anthony Newton, who played Featherinton's love interest, Colin Bridgerton, in the third season of Bridgerton.
Speaking on filming the scenes, Coughlan has told TIME: 'It was intimate, but it was also scary because of the level of nudity. We wanted to do justice to the story and this beautiful moments where he makes her feel really loved and they're vulnerable together. I'm so proud of that scene.
Elsewhere in the cover story interview, the 37-year-old slammed judgements and remarks about her body. 'I'm a few sizes below the average size of a woman in the U.K. and I'm seen as a 'plus-size heroine'... Making it about how I look is reductive and boring,' she explained.
'What if I was suddenly going to play a ballerina and lose a sh*t ton of weight, are you not going to like me anymore? That's insane and so insulting.'
The star also urged fans and commentators to refrain from calling her 'brave' for her size.
This is not the first time that Coughlan has critiqued discussions about her appearance. During a Q&A in Dublin earlier this year, a journalist told Coughlan that she was 'very brave' for playing Featherington, to which the star responded with: 'You know, it is hard because I think women with my body type - women with perfect breasts - we don't get to see ourselves onscreen enough!
'And I'm very proud as a member of the perfect breasts community. I hope you enjoy seeing them.'
Female actors being put under the microscope for their body, no matter the size, has long been a point of discussion in the media. Earlier this year, Girls creator, writer and actor Lena Dunham revealed that body shaming comments about her had put her off from starring in another series.
Putting a pin on the discussions, Coughlan stated: 'I oscillate between two things as a woman: It costs nothing to be nice, and women don't owe you niceness. Both of those things are true.'
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