Nicola Coughlan, 39, has been one of the main cast members of “Bridgerton” since the Netflix series premiered in 2020. But after four seasons portraying Penelope Featherington, she’s taking a step back from the Regency-era romance.
Yep, but that also doesn’t mean fans have seen the last of her.
Coughlan recently spoke with E! News about her future with the series. And while she didn’t reveal exactly how much she’ll appear in Season 5, she made it clear that she’s still happy to return whenever the show wants her. Honestly, after spending so many years in the world of “Bridgerton,” it’s easy to see why she’d want to keep that door open.
The show follows “eight close-knit siblings of the Bridgerton family” as they “look for love and happiness in London high society,” per IMDb. The series has also earned plenty of recognition over the years, with 119 award nominations and 27 wins, which includes five Primetime Emmy wins.
GettyNicola Coughlan Calls Her ‘Bridgerton’ Run ‘Epic’
For Coughlan, stepping away from being one of the central characters doesn’t seem to be a bad thing. In fact, it seems like she’s looking at the change as part of what makes “Bridgerton” so special.
Coughlan told E! News in an exclusive:
“It’s bittersweet. I feel like, God, I had such an epic run. I think that’s part of the beauty of that world is it keeps reinventing itself. Every season being a new story — it takes on a different guise.”
And let’s be real, Coughlan has had quite the journey as Penelope.
Fans watched Penelope spend the first few seasons secretly writing as Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). Her identity was finally exposed at the end of Season 3. Season 4 then followed Penelope as she navigated life after being revealed as the woman behind the infamous gossip pamphlet. She was also building a future with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).
Now, the show is moving on to another central romance.
Season 5 will feature “Bridgerton’s first same-gender central love story,” per Tudum. Lady Francesca Stirling (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) will be at the helm. It seems like the upcoming season is going to give fans another major storyline. “Bridgerton” continues shifting its focus to different members of its ensemble cast.
And, honestly, that’s part of what has kept the series going for so long. Each season gets to introduce a new central romance while still bringing familiar faces back into the story.
Who Is the New Lady Whistledown?
Of course, Penelope’s decision to stop writing as Lady Whistledown doesn’t mean the mysterious gossip writer has disappeared.
In Season 4, an imposter was revealed to have taken over the Lady Whistledown mantle. But their identity still hasn’t been revealed. When Coughlan was asked whether she knew who was behind the new version of the gossip pamphlet, she admitted that she genuinely has no idea.
Coughlan, who noted she “was really bad at keeping secrets,” said:
“I told everyone and said I was her, so they know not to tell me. But I genuinely have no clue and it’s quite nice not to know. I don’t need to know.”
Yep, that might actually be the safest approach for Coughlan.
After all, she already had to keep Penelope’s Lady Whistledown secret for years. Now she gets to experience the mystery from the other side alongside the fans.
And there’s something kind of fun about that. One of the show’s longtime stars doesn’t know the answer either. So, Coughlan can watch the next chapter unfold without already knowing everything heading into it.
Coughlan is Still Happy to Come Back
While Coughlan isn’t going to be the central focus of Season 5, she doesn’t sound like someone who is ready to say goodbye to “Bridgerton” altogether. When discussing her future with the series, she said:
“I’ll always pop back to Bridgerton if they want me. If I can be set dressing, I’ll be there. No problem. It’s never a chore.”
That comment really says a lot about how Coughlan feels about the show.
She also discussed how many of the same crew members have remained with “Bridgerton” since the beginning. And that continuity means a lot. She explained:
“The actors are contracted to come back, so they don’t have a choice. The crew have a choice. If they don’t want to be there, they don’t gotta be there. That means a lot to us as the actors. I’m like, ‘You guys want to be around us,’ which is really nice.”
It seems like that sense of familiarity is a big part of why Coughlan is so comfortable leaving the door open.
After four seasons, Penelope has finally gotten her happy ending with Colin. And Coughlan can now watch other characters take center stage while still popping up when the story calls for her.
Let’s be real, that sounds like a pretty good deal.
“Bridgerton” is continuing to expand its world with new romances, new mysteries, and familiar characters returning along the way. And even though Coughlan won’t be leading Season 5, fans don’t have to look at this as the end of Penelope’s story.
“Bridgerton” Season 5 is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2027. But no exact release date has been announced at the time of this writing.
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