Nicola Coughlan, who stars as Penelope Featherington in the upcoming third season of Bridgerton, has revealed that she asked Netflix to make a PG cut of the show for her parents to watch.
After finding her start on the beloved sit-com Derry Girls, Coughlan became a part of the main cast of Bridgerton when the regency romance began in 2020. The forthcoming third season of the show will bring her character to the forefront, following Penelope’s love story with Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton.
From the first episode of the show, Bridgerton has been known for its graphic sex scenes and nudity, earning a TV-MA rating in the United States. Season three is presumably set to continue this trend, prompting Coughlan to ask Netflix to create a PG version for her parents.
When Coughlan’s mother watched the first season of the show, she was surprised by how “saucy” it was, the Irish actor recalled during a conversation with SiriusXM Hits 1, via The Independent. “And then you get a bottom, Jonathan Bailey’s lovely bottom, about two minutes into the first episode ever,” she continued, “And she was like, ‘What is this?'”
Although her mother now thinks it’s “fantastic and really funny,” Coughlan had it written into her contract that a PG version of the show would be made for her parents to watch. “People think I’m like saying it as a joke,” she added, “I just don’t want to. I grew up Irish Catholic. That’s just not how we vibe.”
The non-PG version of season three is set to hit Netflix on May 16th, returning viewers to Shondaland’s world of sex and high society.
Since landing her role in Bridgerton, Coughlan has continued her work in the realm of British comedy with Big Mood. The first season of the show hit Channel 4 less than two weeks ago.
Coughlan also appeared on the silver screen last year in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie adaptation, taking on the role of Diplomat Barbie. The film achieved huge commercial success, marking the first time a female director made $1billion at the box office.
Watch an official clip of Coughlan and Newton in Bridgerton season three below.
