Nicola Coughlan has been called a lot of things since stepping into the leading lady role in the third season of “Bridgerton.”
“Brave” by some viewers who believe she is a champion of body positivity for not losing weight as her character, Penelope Featherington, takes the spotlight. “Not hot” by a columnist for The Spectator, who criticized “Bridgerton’s big fantasy.”
But many of Coughlan's fans — who see themselves in the actor — prefer to describe her as something else: normal.
“It’s everything to me to feel seen and to feel seen in a way that is not overt, but just where everyone else has always felt seen and I haven’t,” said “Bridgerton” fan Camilla Simon, 32. “I was really skinny growing up and then due to just a lot of health issues gained a bunch of weight, and I’m overweight now. I don’t think Nicola’s overweight at all, but we never get to see ourselves in these positions. Someone like me can be desirable, can be loved and can be the lead — to see that is a really welcome gift.”
Coughlan and co-star Luke Newton, who plays her love interest Colin Bridgerton, have been lauded for their chemistry both on and off the screen, with some fans convinced that the duo should be dating in real life. Many “Bridgerton” viewers counted down to part two of the season, which debuted on Netflix on Thursday, as it picks up after a steamy scene where the duo get intimate for the first time in a carriage. Amid the show’s continued buzz, Coughlan's size has also remained a common topic among viewers. Across social media, people have come to the actor’s defense when trolls comment on her weight, sharing how much seeing her on screen has helped them feel accepted in their own bodies.
The Shondaland-produced show, based on Julia Quinn’s novels, is a Regency-set period drama that has captivated fans since debuting in December 2020. Coughlan's Penelope has always been a series regular, leading a double life as a friend to the titular Bridgerton family and gossip columnist Lady Whistledown. But season three follows Penelope as she tries to court a husband.
Some have applauded Coughlan, saying her prominent role is helping the body positivity movement, which refers to a belief system of self-acceptance regardless of body type.
“Nicola is not someone who should be considered brave for showing her body and being sexy,” wrote Guardian columnist Rebecca Shaw. “… Even having someone as mildly fat as her standing up for her own body’s desirability, appearing in roles where she gets to display her sexiness, makes a difference. The backlash to Nicola’s body is not just because she appears on screen but because she dares to be desirable and sexual on screen.”
Others have pointed out that in the book version — “Romancing Mister Bridgerton” — a “round” and “plump” Penelope only catches Colin’s eye after she loses weight. The Netflix show veers away from that storyline.
“Bridgerton” characters typically do get a “glow up” in terms of their clothing, hair and makeup when their storyline becomes the focus of the season. But showrunner Jess Brownell was adamant that Penelope’s body should not be part of the transformation.
“I think Penelope’s outer appearance has nothing to do with her story,” Brownell told Refinery29 Australia. “Her story is absolutely about her internal journey — that’s what matters.”
Coughlan herself has publicly stated that she does not care for the commentary on her body. In 2022, she shared a photo on Instagram — which has since been removed — with the caption: “if you have an opinion about my body please, please don’t share it with me.”
In the last month, with the “Bridgerton” press tour in full swing, Coughlan has had to address the size conversation once again. She told the publication Stylist that she wanted to say “f--- you” to body shamers, so she asked to be “very naked on camera” for one steamy scene in the third season.
More recently, at a screening of the show, she was captured by fans on video responding to an audience member calling her “brave” for taking the role.
“You know, it is hard, because I think women with my body type — women with perfect breasts,” Coughlan said jokingly, according to video clips of the moment, which have been widely shared and praised by fans online. “We don’t get to see ourselves on screen enough.”
Fans like Simon fully support how Coughlan has navigated the questions and commentary surrounding her size. But they say it’s still important, as fans, to acknowledge a milestone moment for representation in Hollywood.
“I think it’s really important to respect the fact she doesn’t always want to talk about her body,” Simon, who has a fan account on X dedicated to Penelope and Colin, said.
“But it’s also important to recognize what a big moment this is — to see people like us in a beautiful light that we should have always gotten.”
Marissa Linderman, a 31-year-old fan from Delaware, said she hopes normalizing Coughlan as a lead will cause a ripple effect in Hollywood and beyond.
“I have seen so many movies and shows, especially in the ‘90s, where anyone who is plus-size or curvy, they get kind of type casted as the quirky fat friend trope, where they are supposed to be funny, because they are not skinny,” she said. “It was such a relief to see a woman like Nicola Coughlan just being herself acting her heart out and killing a role.”
Linderman, who is a former opera singer, said she thinks the industry will reconsider casting one type of person for any role.
“It makes me so hopeful that more actors who are beautiful and deserving of these roles will have more of a shot in film, TV, theater, opera, all of the arts,” she said. “There is such a stigma against larger bodies … but there’s beauty in all body types.”
