Nicola Coughlan

Nicola Mary Coughlan (born January 9, 1987) is an Irish actress known for her roles as Clare Devlin in the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls (2018–2022) and Penelope Featherington in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton (2020–present). Coughlan was born in Galway, Ireland, and grew up in Oranmore. She decided to become an actress at the age of five after watching her sister perform in a school play. She attended Scoil Mhuire and Calasanctius College for her primary and secondary education respectively. Coughlan graduated with a degree in English and Classical Civilisation from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and trained at the Oxford School of Drama and Birmingham School of Acting. Her early acting career includes an uncredited role in the 1997 film My Brother's War and a role in the 2004 short film The Phantom Cnut.