Nicola Coughlan struggled for a long time to break into acting

Nicola Coghlan had quite a regular job before she finally got her big break in acting. The Galway native is currently taking Netflix viewers by storm in the third season of the hit period drama Bridgerton.

The actress has appeared in some of the show’s steamiest scenes with her co-star Luke Newton, leaving fans impressed with her bold approach to the role. Fans have been consistently blown away by Coughlan’s acting abilities and many are shocked to find out what she did before she made it big.

Most audiences were introduced to Nicola Coughlan when she starred in the hit Irish comedy Derry Girls. The series, which consisted of three short seasons, was a runaway hit around the world and launched the careers of its talented cast.

Coughlan is perhaps the most successful of the bunch, having landed her Bridgerton role and even getting an appearance in the star-studded Barbie movie last year. However, it wasn’t always plain sailing when it came to Nicola Coughlan’s acting career.

Coughlan seriously struggled to break into acting. Before appearing on our TV screens, the 37-year-old worked a number of regular jobs for some time.

She moved to London to pursue acting but that didn’t last as Cohghlan struggled to balance making her rent money and keeping time for audition

“I had to work every hour of the day to afford to live there – but that meant I had no time to audition.”

She added: “There are a lot of people at drama school that come from inherited wealth and it’s an easier ride. I had to pay my way.

“Money doesn’t make you happy, but many people don’t know how awful financial stress is. You can’t think about anything else.”