Nicola Coughlan, known for her role in the hit Netflix series 'Bridgerton', has expressed her frustration over the body-shaming remarks that have surfaced following her explicit scenes in the show's third season. The actress took issue with being labelled a "plus-size heroine" and being described as "brave" for showcasing her body, as per an interview reported by People magazine.
Coughlan criticised the reduction of her performance to her physical appearance, stating, "Making it about how I look is reductive and boring." The 37-year-old actress pointed out that she is actually "a few sizes below the average size of a woman in the UK" and emphasised her discomfort with the focus on her looks.
Coughlan candidly remarked, "Don't call me brave. I have a cracking pair of b**bs. There's nothing brave about that; that's actually just me showing them off," she said during the interview reported by People magazine.
The actor noted that she worked tirelessly to prepare for her role, saying, "I barely saw my family and friends, and people were just going, 'But your body'...I don't take it as nice." Addressing the potential for future roles, she questioned the absurdity of the commentary surrounding her body.
"What if I was suddenly going to play a ballerina and lose a s*** ton of weight, are you not going to like me anymore?" she asked, labelling the overall discussion as "insane and so insulting," as per People magazine.
Notably, Coughlan had anticipated the focus on her explicit scenes even before the season premiered. In a previous interview reported by People magazine, she revealed that she had actively sought to include certain moments highlighting her vulnerability.
"There's one scene where I'm very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice," she explained, adding, "It just felt like the biggest 'f**k you' to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering." Reflecting on her experience, she expressed pride in her decision to embrace nudity on the show.
"I felt beautiful in the moment, and I thought - 'When I'm 80, I want to look back on this and remember how f***ing hot I looked!'"
Coughlan concluded that she feels "great" about her choices in 'Bridgerton' because "not only did I consent to it, but I drove it."
