She Once Lived in Moldy Homes & Worked Multiple Jobs Just to Make Ends Meet — Now She’s a Star Known by Millions

The weight of chasing success stayed with her as she got older, shaping each move she made. In Galway, Ireland, where she was raised by a stay-at-home mother and a father in the army, her interest in acting began early.

After watching “The Wizard of Oz,” the celebrity knew performing was what she wanted to do. At nine, her drama teacher encouraged her to attend an open audition for a James Brolin film — and she got the part.

Her parents didn’t always grasp her career path. She explained that while university seemed like the practical route, everything changed once she applied to drama school. It became clear how costly the journey would be, with loans needed to cover expenses.

Though the star had a degree in English and could have gone into teaching, she admitted she never felt that path was right for her. Acting, she said, meant too much to ignore, even if her parents occasionally wondered why she kept holding on to the dream. Trying to break into the industry brought its own battles. She revealed in an interview:

“Moving to London was hardcore because I was really broke. I was in debt. I had to work every hour of the day to afford to live there.”

The busy schedule left no time to audition, and she ended up leaving the city after only six to eight months. With auditions out of reach and work taking over her days, the actress eventually packed up and left London.

In those quiet, discouraging moments, doubt crept in. She questioned the point of staying when she couldn’t even chase the one thing she moved there for. Hearing about people landing major film roles through family connections only deepened her frustration. The celebrity admitted those stories stirred real bitterness.

That chapter of her life was also marked by depression. From the age of four, she knew acting was her calling, and the pressure to make something of herself early on felt crushing. Slowly, the dream that once felt close began to fade.

Those heavy days took a toll, leaving her unsure of what would come next. Back in Galway living with her parents, the Irish native found work at an optician’s shop. Life remained uncertain, but one unexpected chance soon opened a new door.

The 38-year-old spotted an open audition for a play at the Old Vic in London and gave it a shot. Out of 1,500 actors, she was chosen. It seemed like a big moment, but she said she had felt that way before — wondering if each role would finally lead to something more.

She called herself very fortunate, but made it clear the journey wasn’t fast or neat. It took a full year from reading the script to performing the play and signing with an agent. During that long stretch, she still had to return to her job between steps to keep going.

That long, uncertain path — full of auditions, side jobs, and waiting — defined more than just her career. It also gave her time to grow in ways she only came to appreciate later. The public figure shared that her twenties were incredibly tough. Wanting something deeply but not being able to do it made those years feel heavy.

Still, looking back, she wouldn’t change a thing. The TV actress admitted that fame at a younger age would have been too much to handle. While her younger self might not agree, she believes making mistakes was part of learning. Over time, it became easier to tune out the noise.

Before any recognition came her way, she had already lived many different lives — working countless jobs, moving from place to place, and staying in run-down flats where mold crept along the walls. She once recalled in an interview:

“It’s hard to express how much I wasn’t working, or how little money I had in the bank. You couldn’t pay me to go back to my 20s. It was a massive struggle.”

Now best known for her standout role as Penelope Featherington in “Bridgerton,” Nicola Coughlan has become a familiar face to audiences around the world.

Everything shifted when she saw a casting notice on X. That moment led her to the lead role in “Jess and Joe Forever” at London’s Orange Tree Theater. Not long after, in 2017, she landed the role of Clare — described as an “anxious wee lesbian” — in “Derry Girls,” a comedy set in a Catholic girls’ school during a tense time in Northern Ireland’s history.

Coughlan’s star power took a dramatic leap in 2020 when she was cast in “Bridgerton,” the smash hit from Shonda Rhimes. Her role as a quiet debutante with a hidden side became a major turning point. She once admitted that adjusting to the show’s global success felt surreal:

“It’s really hard to wrap your head around.”

With fame came a wave of public attention — and not all of it was welcome. Coughlan has spoken out against constant remarks about her body, urging both the media and fans to stop focusing on her appearance.

That intense spotlight also made Coughlan think more about how people treat others online. At her father’s funeral, many spoke of his kindness — a legacy she now tries to follow. She believes people often forget there are real humans behind screens and has called for stronger action against anonymous trolling.

Her focus on kindness also influences how she deals with the pressures of public life, including those tied to appearance. When asked in an interview if she feels pressure to look a certain way, she pointed to the support around her. Coughlan credited her success to a strong team of women who champion her talent over image.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards nominee praised her agent for pushing her to try many types of roles and avoiding labels. To her, that’s how real progress in the industry happens — women lifting each other up.

She acknowledged that show business can still be very limited in how it sees people, but she doesn’t accept those limits. In her view, actors can change anything from their voice to their appearance for a role. Coughlan joked that if she had to play a bodybuilder, she’d just hit the gym. The star made it clear that she never let herself feel boxed in — and doesn’t plan to start now.

The “Barbie” star’s refusal to be boxed in hasn’t stopped critics from focusing on things that have little to do with her talent. A piece by Rebecca Shaw published in The Guardian openly addressed the ongoing chatter around her appearance.

The writer noted that even though Coughlan is witty, bold, and Irish through and through, much of the attention she receives still centers on her character Penelope’s romantic scenes in “Bridgerton.”

The article criticized society’s deep-rooted obsession with thinness, noting how people publicly question Coughlan’s attractiveness simply because she doesn’t fit that mold. Shaw highlighted how frustrating it is to keep discussing someone’s weight — something Coughlan has also spoken against.