Nicola Coughlan told Stylist she asked to be “very naked” in one of the scenes in “Bridgerton” season three.
Coughlan said it was the “biggest ‘fuck you'” to viewers who body shamed her in the past.
She added that she also wants to “remember how fucking hot I looked” when she’s 80.

“Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan said she asked to be “very naked on camera” in one of her explicit scenes in season three, because it “felt like the biggest ‘fuck you'” to viewers who have body-shamed her.

Coughlan, who has starred as society outcast Penelope Featherington since “Bridgerton” season one, gets her moment in the spotlight in season three with a leading role.

The promotion meant Coughlan had to act in the steamy sex scenes that “Bridgerton,” one of Netflix’s most-watched shows, is known for.

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington on season three, episode one of “Bridgerton.”Laurence Cendrowicz/Netflix

Coughlan told Stylist magazine in an interview published on Wednesday: “I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included.”

She added: “There’s one scene where I’m very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice. It just felt like the biggest ‘fuck you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering.”

Coughlan said that she was fine with the sex scenes because she got to choose what they included. That involved working with intimacy coordinator, Lizzy Talbot.

“Bridgerton” is one of several major productions to employ intimacy coordinators to help create safe environments for actors filming nude or other intimate scenes. The position is even more important now that numerous actors have spoken up about feeling uncomfortable on set.

Coughlan said: “I felt beautiful in the moment, and I thought: ‘When I’m 80, I want to look back on this and remember how fucking hot I looked!'”

Nicola Coughlan attends a “Bridgerton” event in London.Dave Benett/Getty Images
Since her rise to fame in “Bridgerton” season one in 2020, Coughlan has publicly criticized fans, critics, and journalists who have commented on body or asked her about her weight.

“People ask ignorant questions like, ‘How do you feel knowing anyone can go on Netflix and see you naked?’ and my answer is I feel great about it, because not only did I consent to it but I drove it,” Coughlan said.

“There’s a reason this show became a phenomenon: it’s about women feeling desire, owning their sexuality, and driving the charge in those situations rather than just being an object of a man’s affections,” she said.

“Bridgerton” season three, part one is available on Netflix, and part two premieres on June 13.