There was a good bit of buzz around Bridgerton before it’s release on December 25th, but we don’t think anyone knew just how successful it would be. Not since Downton Abbey have people been so obsessed with a period drama, and perhaps the love for this is more widespread as it’s so funny and lets be honest….raunchy.
One of the stars of the show, Nicola Coughlan spoke about it’s amazing success on The Late Late Show last night. Speaking with Ryan Tubridy the Derry Girls star chatted about how it has now been watched by 65 million households globally; “I can’t fathom how many people that actually is it’s very strange.”
“The numbers came though they said it’s the fifth biggest Netflix launch ever, but then it’s all happening during lockdown so you’re sat at home and you’re going, ‘That’s quite nice,’ and carry on about your day.”
The Galway actress, who plays Penelope Featherington on the show also spoke about landing the role.
“I went and I did the audition but I didn’t put too much thought into it I thought I would give it a go. And then I got the call two weeks later saying they wanted me to do it.”
She continued; “I said, ‘What does that mean?’ and they said, ‘They’ve given you the part,’ and I said, ‘Okay but what do you mean they’ve given me the part?’ because I just couldn’t accept it I think.”
Like many of us, since Covid hit Nicola has been at home with her family in Galway rather than where she normally lives in London; “I’m normally in London but after we wrapped Bridgerton in February and then I came home and the world shut down.”
Being her hilarious self she spoke about what it was like living with her Mam and Dad again, in particular she revealed she feels like a teenager as her mother keeps commenting on what she says in all her Bridgerton press interviews!
“She has a smart phone so she gets all these articles and she goes, ‘What is this I’m after reading about you?’ or ‘Why did you say that?’ she shared.
“I said s-h-i-t-e, I’m not going to say it again because I don’t want to get in trouble, on TV recently and I was in so much trouble over it so I’m basically a teenager at home.”