Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has downplayed her involvement in the forthcoming season of Netflix’s hit period drama.
Coughlan, who first rose to fame on Channel 4’s Derry Girls before being cast as Bridgerton’s Penelope Featherington in 2020, said she “won’t be in it very much”, as the new season begins filming.
Bridgerton is known for shifting its perspective between characters, with individual season arcs focusing on new characters every year. Season three of Bridgerton saw Coughlan take centre stage, with the main plotline focusing on Penelope’s love affair with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).
However, subsequent seasons have seen Coughlan’s character return to being a supporting player.
Speaking on the Dish podcast, Coughlan said: “Season five has started filming already, so I won’t be in it very much. But I'm always happy to come back.
“I have it so good now ’cause I come in for a few days and I’m like, ‘Yay! How is everyone? I’ll see you in two months. Bye!' They’re working super, super hard and I’m just like coming back. It’s lovely.”
In the wake of her Bridgerton success, Coughlan has continued to rise in the film industry. In recent months, she starred alongside Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy in a well-received film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree, and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live UK.
She could also be seen on stage, fronting a production of The Playboy of the Western World at the National Theatre in London.
The fifth season of Bridgerton will focus on Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela (Masali Baduza). An official synopsis says: “The fifth season of Bridgerton spotlights introverted middle daughter Francesca.
“Two years after losing her beloved husband John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons. But when John's cousin Michaela returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran's complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”
Seasons one to four of Bridgerton are currently streaming on Netflix, with a release date for the forthcoming fifth season still yet to be announced.
