Nicola Coughlan
Actor, Producer
January 9, 1987 (39 years)
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.
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
| 2026 | National Theatre Live: The Playboy of the Western World · as Pegeen Mike |
| 2026 | The Magic Faraway Tree · as Silky |
| 2026 | GOAT · as Olivia Burke (voice) |
| 2024 | Seize Them! · as Humble Joan |
| 2024 | Big Mood · as Maggie |
| 2023 | Doctor Who (2023) · as Joy Almondo |
| 2023 | The Velveteen Rabbit · as Playroom Fairy (voice) |
| 2023 | Barbie · as Barbie |
| 2022 | Dodger · as Queen Victoria |
| 2021 | Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains · as Guest |
| 2020 | Bridgerton · as Penelope Featherington |
| 2019 | I Am... (2019) · as Helen |
| 2018 | Derry Girls · as Clare Devlin |
| 2017 | Harlots · as Hannah Dalton |
| 2013 | Svengali · as Club Girl |
| 2012 | Ivan the Incredible · as Lottie -English (voice)On Plex |
| 2011 | Thor: Legend of the Magical Hammer · as Edda (voice) |
| 2008 | Summer of the Flying Saucer · as Janis Voice |
| 2003 | The Fairytaler · as Voice |
| 2000 | Doctors · as Marie Callaghan |
| 1999 | Simsala Grimm · as Cast |
| 1997 | My Brother's War · as Little Girl |
| 2024 | Big Mood · as Executive Producer |