When Nicola Coughlan arrived on our screens in Derry Girls a few years ago we knew she was something special but after being catapulted to fame at 31, the Irish girl says she sometimes misses ‘normality’.

It was an exciting night in Dublin for Bridgerton fans as Nicola Coughlan and her co-star Luke Newton were in town for the premiere of Bridgerton season three, part two, in the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield.

Several fans were there to catch a glimpse of the most pair who play the most loved-up couple onscreen, Penelope Featherington and her love interest Colin Bridgerton, on the red carpet.

Bridgerton S3 part 2 premiere
Nicola has not only impressed Ireland with her acting skills but the world and the hit Netflix series Bridgerton has brought her to a whole new level of fame.

Speaking on the red carpet in Dublin, Nicola told EVOKE that she sometimes misses ‘normality’ and being able to go to the shops of the pub without being recognised.

She said: ‘Sometimes you just want to go to the pub or buy milk. But generally, people are so nice and so friendly and it’s beautiful.’

Bridgerton S3 part 2 premiere
Thinking back, before fame, the actress said she would often get approached by strangers, saying: ‘I think I have that kind of face anyway.

‘Before I was on TV, I was very much the person that people would ask for directions or sit next to on the bus. So I think that would be a lifelong thing whether I was on TV or not.’

Nicola Coughlan attends the Special Screening of Netflix's Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 at Light House Cinema in Dublin on June 6th 2024. Pic: Andres Poveda/Netflix

But when it comes to meeting people, this is something she loves to do, and this season has been an eye-opener to her.

She said: ‘I’ve loved doing this world tour because we never got to do it with this show before because season one and two were impacted by Covid when it came to promotion. But actually getting to go around the world and meet people and be like “Thank you so much for watching” is amazing.’