Behind the Scenes: Nicola Coughlan on Penelope's Transformation & The "Bridgerton" Phenomenon
Nicola Coughlan, the actress behind the beloved "Bridgerton" character Penelope Featherington, has taken the world by storm. From her initial audition to the wild hot air balloon scene, she's given us a glimpse into the complex world of a character who is both endearing and relatable.
A Call From Shonda Rhimes
"I auditioned for Penelope when I had finished season two of 'Derry Girls'," Coughlan recalls.
"I didn’t realize she was Lady Whistledown, and I had only two days to prep." Despite the short notice, she impressed the casting director's assistant. "I was like, 'Okay, this is probably just a step before the main step'," she says. But to her surprise, two weeks later, she received a call offering her the job.
What's even more surprising? Coughlan never did a single chemistry test with her co-stars. "It was all to do with Shonda [Rhimes]," Coughlan explains.
"She casts a lot of actors from a single audition. Everyone says she just has an instinct. She feels like whoever's right for the part is who she says, and her track record's pretty amazing."
A Character Evolving With Each Season
From her initial portrayal of a shy wallflower, Penelope has become a more confident and self-assured character.
"I always thought of her like a yo-yo in season one," Coughlan says. "She'd try to be crafty, but then she'd have to pull it back." In season two, she embraced a sense of misplaced arrogance, convinced that she and Colin were sharing a love story.
"But in season three, I wanted to drift to feel more grounded, more like a young woman who is becoming comfortable with herself," she explains. Coughlan reveals that she drew inspiration from the books, but Penelope is older in those stories, so she had to adapt the character to her younger version.
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