Nicola Coughlan has just as sharp a tongue as Lady Whistledown’s pen! The 37-year-old Irish actress confronted a comment about her body type in the best way possible during a recent Q&A at a screening for season 3 of Bridgerton in Dublin, Ireland.
When a person on stage called Coughlan “very brave” for taking on the steamy role, the actress kindly responded, saying, “You know, it is hard because I think women with my body type, women with perfect breasts don’t get…”
She trailed off as the crowd erupted in cheers and claps.
“We do not see ourselves as good enough,” Coughlan continued with the bit. “I am very proud as a member of the perfect breast community. I’m proud and I hope you enjoy seeing them.”
Coughlan plays Penelope Featherington on the hit Netflix show, and while she’s been a part of the Shonda Rhimes series from the beginning, this season focuses on her character and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton ) and features plenty of racy scenes.
The Derry Girls star has been candid in the past about embracing her sexuality and being willing to go nude for the Regency-era drama.
“I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included,” Coughlan told stylist in a recent interview, per People. “There’s one scene where I’m very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice.”
Coughlan added that the decision had everything to do with the commentary she’s received for her body type.
“It just felt like the biggest ‘f**k you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body,” she candidly expressed. “It was amazingly empowering. I felt beautiful in the moment, and I thought: ‘When I’m 80, I want to look back on this and remember how f**king hot I looked!'”
ET spoke with Coughlan last June at Netflix’s TUDUM! Global Fan Event in Brazil, where she opened up about the upcoming season and her kiss with Newton.
“Terrifying,” Coughlan admitted when asked what it was like to shoot the show’s steamy scenes. “Luke and I read the books at the beginning of season 1, and it was funny to us. We were like, ‘Imagine if we have to kiss and do this.’ And then season 3 came along and we were like, ‘Oh god,’ and then it’s like, ‘It’s my friend. I have to kiss my friend.'”
She continued, “And you can’t pretend to kiss someone, you have to really kiss them. It’s a spicy one. It’s a lot of the stuff from the books that the fans expect has made it into the show.”
The first half of the season premiered on Netflix on May 16, followed by the release of the remaining episodes on June 13.
