Nicola Coughlan is an Irish actress best known for playing Penelope Featherington in Netflix’s Bridgerton and Clare Devlin in Derry Girls. Born in Galway, Ireland, she built her career through years of acting training, theatre performances and television roles. Her natural comedic timing and emotional performances have earned her international recognition. Beyond her screen career, fans are interested in Nicola Coughlan age, height, family, relationship status and personal life. She continues to work across television, film and theatre.
Nicola Coughlan Age: Complete Biography Table
| Profile Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Nicola Mary Coughlan |
| Date of Birth | January 9, 1987 |
| Nicola Coughlan Age | 39 years old (as of October 2026) |
| Height | Approximately 5 feet 1 inch (155 cm) |
| Weight | Not reliably confirmed publicly |
| Birthplace | Galway, Ireland |
| Hometown | Oranmore, County Galway, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Ethnicity | Irish heritage |
| Profession | Actress, voice performer |
| Famous For | Bridgerton and Derry Girls |
| Best-Known Role | Penelope Featherington / Lady Whistledown |
| Comedy Role | Clare Devlin in Derry Girls |
| Other Notable Role | Hannah Dalton in Harlots |
| Father | Martin Coughlan |
| Mother | Her name is not consistently documented in reliable public biographies |
| Siblings | Public biographies identify siblings, including Kieran and Clodagh Coughlan |
| Education | National University of Ireland, Galway |
| Acting Training | Oxford School of Drama and Birmingham School of Acting |
| Graduation | Graduated from Birmingham School of Acting in 2011 |
| Acting Debut | Appeared in My Brother’s War (1997) |
| Years Active | From childhood through the present |
| Television Breakthrough | Derry Girls (2018–2022) |
| Netflix Breakthrough | Bridgerton (from 2020) |
| Film Appearance | Barbie (2023), as Diplomat Barbie |
| Other TV Project | Big Mood (2024), as Maggie |
| Voice Work | The Velveteen Rabbit and other voice projects |
| Theatre Work | Jess and Joe Forever and The Playboy of the Western World |
| Awards | IFTA Rising Star Award (2021) |
| Award Recognition | Nominations for television and ensemble performances |
| Marital Status | No publicly confirmed marriage identified in the sources reviewed |
| Husband | No publicly confirmed husband |
| Relationship Status | Private; media reports should be verified before publication |
| Children | No publicly confirmed information identified in the sources reviewed |
| Net Worth | Exact figure not publicly verified |
| Income Sources | Acting, television, film, theatre and production work |
| Hair Colour | Varies by role and styling; blonde, red and brunette looks |
| Eye Colour | Commonly reported as blue |
| Hobbies and Interests | Acting, storytelling, films and creative projects |
| Religion | Has discussed growing up in an Irish Catholic family |
| @nicolacoughlan | |
| Social Media | Public updates about projects, appearances and professional activities |
| Notable Character Identity | Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton |
| Career Strength | Combines comedy, period drama and contemporary storytelling |
| Professional Recognition | International attention through Bridgerton |
| Current Career Focus | Film, television, theatre and other acting projects |
Nicola Coughlan Images
Nicola Coughlan: A Timeline of Her Public Career
| Year | Career Milestone |
| 1997 | Made an early screen appearance in My Brother’s War as a child actress. |
| 2011 | Graduated from Birmingham School of Acting after completing professional acting training. |
| 2016 | Appeared in the theatre production Jess and Joe Forever, helping strengthen her stage career. |
| 2017 | Joined the television series Harlots as Hannah Dalton. |
| 2018 | Rose to wider recognition as Clare Devlin in the Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls. |
| 2019 | Continued playing Clare as Derry Girls developed a growing international audience. |
| 2020 | Began portraying Penelope Featherington in Netflix’s period drama Bridgerton. |
| 2021 | Won the Irish Film & Television Awards’ Rising Star Award. |
| 2022 | Returned for the third and final series of Derry Girls, concluding her run as Clare Devlin. |
| 2023 | Appeared as Diplomat Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s hit film Barbie. |
| 2024 | Starred as Maggie in the comedy series Big Mood and appeared in the Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World. |
| 2024 | Took centre stage as Penelope Featherington in the third season of Bridgerton. |
| 2025 | Continued receiving industry recognition for her performances in television drama and comedy. |
| 2026 | Continued expanding her screen and stage credits, including The Magic Faraway Tree and The Playboy of the Western World. |
Nicola Coughlan’s Family
| Family Member | Details |
| Father | Martin Coughlan, who served in the Irish Army and worked on UN peacekeeping missions. He passed away in 2017. |
| Mother | Nicola has spoken affectionately about her mother, who supported her acting ambitions and lives in Ireland. |
| Brother | Kieran Coughlan, her older brother, helped nurture her interest in films during childhood. |
| Sister | Clodagh Coughlan, her older sister, inspired Nicola’s interest in acting after she saw her perform in a school production. |
| Siblings | Nicola is the youngest of four children and has three siblings. |
| Husband | No publicly confirmed husband identified in the sources reviewed. |
| Children | No publicly confirmed information about children identified in the sources reviewed. |
| Family Home | Oranmore, County Galway, Ireland, where she grew up. |
| Family Relationship | She has described her family as a strong source of support throughout her acting career. |
| Time with Family | Despite her busy filming schedule, she makes an effort to return to Ireland to visit her mother and other relatives. |
| Family Influence | Her father’s peacekeeping work influenced her awareness of international affairs and humanitarian issues. |
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
| 2021 | Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA) | Rising Star Award | WinnerIrish Film & Television Academy+1 |
| 2021 | Irish Film & Television Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Drama for Bridgerton | NominatedIMDb |
| 2025 | BAFTA Television Awards | Female Performance in a Comedy for Big Mood | Nominated IMDb |
| 2025 | Irish Film & Television Awards | Best Lead Actress – Drama for Bridgerton | NominatedIrish Film & Television Academy+1 |
| 2025 | Actor Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Bridgerton | NominatedIMDb |
