Fans Of 'Bridgerton' Star Nicola Coughlan React To Finding Out Her Real Age

Some fans of actor Nicola Coughlan, who stars in Netlixs hit drama Bridgerton,  have recently taken to social media to express their disbelief over finding out her real age. 

Coughlan, who has played teenage characters in relatively recent shows, is in fact 37 years old.  

In Shondalands Bridgerton, Coughlan plays character Penelope Featherington, who has been reported to be aged at around 17 or 18 years old.  The first season of Bridgerton premiered in 2020, and Season 3 which will focus on Penelopes love life is set to hit the streaming service next month. 

Coughlan also starred in U.K. coming-of-age comedy series Derry Girls, in which she played a high school student. The show premiered in 2018 and ran for three seasons.

The conversation surrounding Coughlans age   and her ability to convincingly play a teenager  mightve been recently reignited due to her Harpers Bazaar cover story, which was published this week.

The actor discussed her age in an essay for the publication , in which she shared how much her life has changed since 2017, when she was working part-time in an opticians office.

Nicola Coughlan doesnt age, one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter,  on Wednesday.

I am so fascinated by Nicola Coughlan and cant even explain it, wrote another . She doesnt look 37 all. Fr, this is what it means to age backwards. 

Other X users criticized some of the reaction to Coughlans age, arguing that society perceives 37 to be older than it is.

Its funny seeing the shes 37!? responses to the beautiful Nicola Coughlan, one X user wrote . I wonder if part of is to do with the idea of being early twenties and seeing later 30s as being so much older when it actually isnt. I remember being a teen thinking I couldnt wear shorts past 27! 

Author Moniza Hossain argued on X that although Coughlan is youthful looking, people in their 30s and 40s dont suddenly get very wrinkled post 30.

Coughlan had discussed the public scrutiny women in the TV and film industry often face an issue shes said shes personally dealt with   in her essay for Harpers Bazaar.

She said women are often pressured to look youthful permanently 22 years old among other body image-related pressures. 

As much as I love what I do, all the scrutiny isnt easy, and fame is a very strange consequence of doing my job, she wrote. 

She later added: Yes, Im terrified of the scrutiny, the opinions, the number of eyes on me; but, ultimately, the thing thats making me step out of the shadows, even though it terrifies me, is that Im so proud of the work Ive done, the people Ive worked with and these beautiful shows weve made.

Coughlan stars in new series, Big Mood, set to stream on Tubi on April 19.