Nicola Coughlan had a surprising part-time job before Bridgerton fame
Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan didn't always have such a glamorous job

By Emma Dooney
Nicola Coughlan has opened up about how she earned money before she joined the cast of Bridgerton, and fans may be surprised by what she had to say.
With a confirmed second season of Bridgerton on the horizon, it looks like Nicola Coughlan won't be going back to her old part-time job any time soon.
In an interview on The Late Late Show last Friday, the 34-year-old shocked host Ryan Tubridy when she revealed her former place of work.
“It's mad, five years ago I was working in an optician’s two days a week in Galway,” she said.
Nicola went on to describe her role, which she called a ‘nice job.’ “I used to send people out their letters to say 'you’re due your eye test',” she explained.
Always hopeful she’d become a household name, the Derry Girls star was preparing for fame even then. “I’d practice my autograph on the letters.”
Despite her huge success in the past few years, Nicola, who plays Bridgerton's Penelope Featherington alongside Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor, admitted her life has been quite ordinary recently.
“We wrapped Bridgerton in February and I came home, and then the world shut down,” she explained. By ‘home’ she's referring to Galway in Ireland, where she was born and raised.
A post shared by Nicola Coughlan (@nicolacoughlan)
A photo posted by on
Without the buzz of premieres and autograph signings, Nicola could only rely on social media to get a sense of the show’s following.
“It’s all happening in lockdown so you’re at home saying 'that’s quite nice’ and then going about your day," she said.
Now living at home with her family, the actress’s days aren’t exactly glamorous. She laughed that she became her mother’s personal assistant over lockdown, listing all the jobs she’s expected to do now that she’s back.
"I’m her chef, her painter, I laid some laminate flooring for her... I have pictures to hang up when I get back to Galway actually, I just remembered,” she said.
With family like that, it seems like Nicola’s mega-success is unlikely to go to her head any time soon.
-
The Rise And Fall Of Victoria's Secret docuseries is in the works
The new Hulu series is sure to be a gripping watch
By Naomi Jamieson •
-
Bridgerton finally has some official merch and it's giving us serious girl power
We burn for these sweatshirts
By Naomi Jamieson •
-
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s relationship advice will help mend a broken heart
If you’re going through a break-up, Jill Biden is here to help
By Kudzai Chibaduki •
-
20 movies to catch up on before the 2021 Golden Globes, Oscars and more
Award show season is almost here—and these movies are the talk of the town!
By Christina Izzo •
-
Golden Globes 2021: The full list of TV and movie nominees
Here's everything that's up for gold at the Golden Globes 2021
By Christina Izzo •
-
The Golden Globes made a serious mistake not nominating Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You
The brave British series was the critical darling of 2020
By Christina Izzo •
-
AOC raised a whopping $5 million for Texas storm relief
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised serious $$$ for those impacted by the Texas winter storm
By Kudzai Chibaduki •
-
Netflix has released a new feature to make watching on the go even easier
The streamer always gets us
By Naomi Jamieson •