Nicola Coughlan asked to be ‘very naked’ in Bridgerton season 3 to show body shamers

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In a scene for season three of Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan has requested to appear "fully nude" as a way to show that she refuses to listen to the negative comments made by online bullies about her physique.

At 37 years old, the Irish performer is in the starring role for the most recent part of the regency drama on Netflix. His character is Penelope Featherington and he is acting alongside Luke Newton who plays Colin Bridgerton.

In the previous month, Coughlan expressed her surprise at being cast as the main character in a romantic series.

The star of Derry Girls clarified that her decision to not watch herself on screen is not because she thinks she looks awful, as some might assume. Rather, her character on the show was a minor one, someone who stood out for being peculiar but wasn't the focus of the story. However, in her new role, her character is at the forefront.

During a recent conversation with Stylist, Coughlan discussed her collaboration with Bridgerton's intimacy coordinator, Lizzy Talbot, on the upcoming season's intimate moments.

You might say, "Alright, what am I trying to display? What am I trying to conceal? What parts are pre-planned, and what should I include?"

Coughlan explained that she had requested certain parts of the show to be included. One of these was a scene where she appeared naked on camera. She wanted to challenge the negative comments that were made about her body and it was a very empowering moment for her. She felt really good at that moment and wanted to be able to look back on it when she was older and remember how attractive she was.

Coughlan made a post on Instagram encouraging her fans to refrain from expressing their thoughts about her physical appearance in 2022. She noted that while most people were being considerate and not intending to cause offense, she was only one person who found it challenging to shoulder the burden of countless opinions about her appearance that were sent her way daily.

"It's perfectly fine if you hold a certain perception of me, considering that I appear on television and people are entitled to their own thoughts and expressions. However, I kindly request that you refrain from communicating those opinions to me in a direct manner."

Afterwards, she shared with the Irish Times that her focus is solely on her work. She believes that any changes that may occur in her body, such as weight loss or gain, are personal matters and none of anyone's concern. Her main priority is to deliver exceptional acting performances and be evaluated based on her success in that arena.

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The official logline states that in the most recent season of Bridgerton, Penelope has decided to let go of her long-standing infatuation with Colin Bridgerton. This was due to his unbecoming remarks towards her in the previous season.

Although, she has made up her mind to get married now, with a prospective husband who can give her the freedom to pursue her secret life as Lady Whistledown, away from her family. Despite it, she is not very confident and her efforts to find a suitable partner have not been successful so far.

When discussing her unique connection with fellow actor Newton, Coughlan expressed that their exceptional relationship originates from their mutual experience with fame from Bridgerton.

"It's an extremely uncommon encounter," she stated. "I believe we're cognizant of the exceptional nature of this occurrence."

The TV show Bridgerton, which is based on Julia Quinn's famous book series, was produced by Shonda Rhimes's company Shondaland. It became one of the most well-liked Netflix originals after it was released in 2020.

The complete third installment of Bridgerton is currently available for streaming on Netflix.