The Netflix series star never thought she would star in a period piece. Find out why below.

Don’t mind your teachers, Nicola. As Lady Violet would say, “There is nothing you cannot do.”

Bridgerton‘s Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington in the Regency-era drama, revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter for its Next Gen list that she never thought she would would star in a period piece, thanks to some feedback she received in drama school. “I was told, categorically, I would never do period drama,” the actress recalled. “They told me, ‘Your face is too modern.’ I have no idea to this day what that means.”

Not only does Nicola star in the Emmy Award-winning Shondaland series, which Netflix renewed through season four, she also stars in the streamer’s 1990s-set hit Derry Girls.

Though Nicola didn’t expect to star in a period piece at all, the rest of the cast, including castmate Pheobe Dynevor—who also made the THR list—didn’t expect the enormous response the show received.

After six months of shooting during the pandemic, Pheobe’s quarantine began, and that’s when everything hit her. “I went from one intense thing into another,” the actress, who stars as Daphne Bridgerton, told the publication. “It wasn’t until the world has gone back to normal that I have realized the enormity of the show.”

Liam Daniel/Netflix

Both Nicole and Pheobe revealed their dream artistic collaborators: Nicola said that she is dying to work with Judy Dench, and Pheobe is “obsessed with Greta Gerwig.” Can we start a petition to get the pair in season two of Bridgerton?

While we wait for season two of the series, keep up to date with all things Bridgerton here.