We couldn’t imagine a world where Nicola Coughlan wasn’t running around the streets of Derry or spreading gossip around the Ton.
The Galway woman broke onto the scene as Claire Devlin in Derry Girls before joining the cast of Netflix’s Bridgerton as Penelope Featherington.
However, in another universe, Nicola may have been battling it out in the Upside Down.
Yes, she auditioned for another Netflix hit – Stranger Things.
@capitalofficial Ooooh the tea is piping hot! 😮💨☕️ #nicolacoughlan #bridgerton #themagicfarawaytree #strangerthings ♬ original sound – Capital
Appearing on Capital Breakfast Radio, Nicola explained how she auditioned for the role of Robin, which eventually went to Maya Hawke.
She explained: “It would be being generous to myself to say I narrowly missed out on it. I did a first round audition for Stranger Things.”
The actor then went on to praise Maya’s performance, saying: “Thank god I didn’t get that because I would have been way worse.
“I don’t think I was anywhere close to being in Stranger Things, but I did audition,” she clarified.
Her revelation comes after she revealed how she has taken a step back from social media.
She explained that she installs apps briefly to share updates before deleting them again, admitting the experience can have a “really negative impact” on her wellbeing.
Nicola has since said she finds it frustrating that so much of the narrative around the show focused on her appearance rather than her performance.
She revealed that after the season dropped, fan interactions often centred on her body, something she found difficult to navigate.
“I remember this really drunk girl once talking to me in a bathroom being like, ‘I loved [Bridgerton] because of your body.’ And started talking about my body, and I was like, ‘I want to die. I hate this so much…” she said.
