Bridgerton fans all over the world were thrilled to see Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) FINALLY get her happy ending with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) — and swap her Featherington yellows & greens for Bridgerton blue. And no one is having more fun with newly married Polin than Coughlan herself!
Liam Daniel/Netflix
“It’s very fun to be playing a happily married person with a very cute baby,” she told Good Morning America at the Time 100 Next Gala in New York City on October 9. “It feels like they went through all their strife last time. So they get to come back and just be in love and have the best time together.”
Both Phoebe Dynevor and Simone Ashley saw a decrease in screen time after their characters got married and had their first child, but Penelope has played a prominent role in the series since the beginning. It sounds like the show could make an unexpected exception and continue to feature her (and the baby!) even though her love story has concluded. At least, that’s what I’m hoping!
While Penelope and Colin will be busy enjoying their happily ever after, Coughlan says Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha are “hard at work being our leads this time,” adding, “they’re doing an amazing, amazing job.”
Liam Daniel/Netflix
And while it’s no secret fans of the show have been hoping for a queer plotline, Coughlan revealed just how much the cast has wanted it too. “I love Bridgerton because it’s a show that tells all different types of love stories,” she says. “I just know that it’s going to be done so well by Hannah [Dodd] and Masali [Baduza],” she adds. “Whenever their time comes, they’re going to be ready, and they’re going to knock it out of the park.”
The end of Bridgerton season 3 introduced us (and Dodd’s Francesca) to Michaela Stirling, a gender-bent twist on her love interest from the books, Micheal Stirling. “It makes perfect sense that Michael Stirling is Michaela Stirling in the show,” one X user tweeted. “There’s no way a man could ever deliver what Michael Stirlin was in the books. Only a woman can serve like this.”
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Ahead of the junior season of the hit show, Nicola Coughlan exclusively revealed to Brit + Co that she loved seeing Penelope come out of her shell, and gain more confidence, throughout Bridgerton season 3.
“It felt really different this time, I think just because she’s finally a grown up and I love coming back to a show and playing a character again, and finding the new sides to them,” Coughlan says. “She’s becoming a woman and finding her self-worth — that side of her I really loved getting to play. It was great.”
Liam Daniel/Netflix
And she didn’t just find her self-confidence — she found the courage to ditch Lady Whistledown once and for all, stepping into the spotlight just the way she is. And it doesn’t hurt that she looks dang good doing it.
“The glow!” Coughlan’s Big Moodco-star Lydia West adds. “You look so stunning. [I love] the different wigs.”
“When the wig comes off, it’s so sad because you just like under a wig, you just look like a little wet rat and it’s all your hair is just all slicked back,” Coughlan jokes. Well, it was a Rat Boyfriend summer — maybe it can be a Rat Girlfriend fall?
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Stay tuned for the latest Bridgerton season 4 updates, and check out Bridgerton Star Yerin Ha Praises Showrunner Jess Brownell For This “Empowering” Character Change for more!
