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.

"A lot of it felt like my preparation was in the physicality of her," Coughlan says. "It was about the innocence of her but also not undermining her intelligence."

Penelope's Transformation: From Garish Colors to Soft Blues

Costume is a significant part of "Bridgerton," and the character's wardrobe reflects her inner evolution.

"This season, they really brought her back to the super garish colors," Coughlan says. "But I feel like she then goes, ‘That makes me stand out too much. I’m going to pull back and go into soft blues." The shift in wardrobe mirrors Penelope's growth into a more confident and self-assured version of herself.

The Infamous Carriage Scene: A Challenge and a Triumph

When filming the intimate carriage scene, Coughlan was initially apprehensive. "It was terrifying," she admits. "I don't know if I can do it. I don't know that I feel ready." But she had the support of her co-star, Luke Newton, who plays Colin, as well as an intimacy coordinator.

"We had a lot of say in what we wanted to do," Coughlan explains. "It was nice because it felt intimate in a very safe way.

"

And despite the scene's intensity, Coughlan shares a hilarious anecdote about a miscommunication during filming. "Our director, Andrew Ahn, was like, 'You know, it's gonna go up to this point, and then you're gonna hear me shout "stop,"' Coughlan recalls. "We were doing the whole scene, and I couldn't hear anything. So we just kept going, and I was like, 'This is going for ages. I don't understand'.

"

"They called cut, and he came over and was like, 'What were you doing? Why didn't you stop?' And I was like, 'What do you mean?' He was like, 'I was shouting "cut," but the carriage was like a little sound booth, so we hadn’t heard it'."

Penelope's Lessons for Nicola

Through her journey as Penelope Featherington, Coughlan has gained a newfound understanding of self-love and acceptance.

"The thought of doing this season scared me constantly," she reveals. "But then I finished, and I was like, 'I did it. You know, human beings were a lot more similar than we are different'."

"I remember dealing with sudden fame with 'Bridgerton', like she was dealing with Lady Whistledown. The process of loving yourself, like that's still an everyday task. The importance of valuing yourself, nothing is ever gonna make sense until you can give yourself that.

"

Coughlan's journey as Penelope Featherington is a testament to the power of transformation, growth, and the importance of embracing oneself. And as Penelope continues her journey in future seasons, we can only anticipate more captivating moments from the woman who taught us to celebrate both our inner and outer beauty.