Actress Nicola Coughlan has confirmed she is taking a bittersweet step back from her leading role in Netflix drama Bridgerton for its fifth season.
The 39-year-old star, who played Penelope Featherington across four seasons of the period series, revealed that while her screen time will be reduced, she remains open to returning whenever production requires.
Coughlan told E! News in an interview that entering the new era brought mixed emotions. "It's bittersweet," Coughlan said. "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."
Despite playing "the OG" Lady Whistledown, whose narration was voiced by Julie Andrews, Coughlan confessed she does not know who takes over the gossip writer mantle in upcoming episodes because she is bad at keeping secrets.
"I told everyone and said I was her," Coughlan said, "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."
While Coughlan could not recall the exact number of episodes she will appear in for season five, her character Penelope married Luke Newton's Colin Bridgerton in season three and navigated parenthood during season four.
"I'll always pop back to Bridgerton if they want me," Coughlan said. "If I can be set dressing, I'll be there. No problem." She added that working on set is never a chore, noting that much of the original crew from season one has chosen to remain with the production.
"The actors are contracted to come back, so they don't have a choice," Coughlan explained. "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."
Filming The Magic Faraway Tree Movie
Stepping back from the television series has allowed Coughlan to focus on feature films, including her upcoming movie The Magic Faraway Tree, which opens in cinemas on Aug. 21. The film also stars Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy.
Coughlan revealed she became determined to join the project while reading the script on a flight to Australia. "I was going on a plane ride to Australia, so I was reading on the plane, and I was like, 'Oh, I desperately want to do this,'" she said, calling it a rare feeling for an actor.
"That was an instant no-brainer connection," Coughlan added. "I was desperate for this job. I wasn't cool about it at all. I told the director I really wanted it on a Zoom. I was like, 'Is that really uncool?' But he was fine with it, thank goodness."
Cast Secrets and On-Set Competitions
Beyond Coughlan's individual storyline, production secrets from across the series highlight how the cast operated behind the scenes. During season two, the cast filmed a match of Pall Mall, an 17th-century precursor to modern croquet. While actors were asked to practice beforehand, Luke Thompson, who plays Benedict Bridgerton, broke two mallets during filming.
Co-star Charithra Chandran, who played Edwina Sharma, had an advantage because she grew up playing croquet at boarding school and university. "The interesting thing is I played a lot of croquet in my past like at boarding school and at university," Chandran told E! News, adding that while rules were sent out in advance, much of the scene was choreographed alongside unscripted footage of the cast playing.
Character appearances were also carefully adjusted between seasons. Showrunner Chris Van Dusen intentionally removed the prominent sideburns worn by Jonathan Bailey, who plays Anthony Bridgerton, in season two to signal the character's transition from a party boy into a leading man.
Real Tea and Special On-Set Food
On-set refreshments also differed from typical television props. Rather than drinking plain water during tea scenes, cast members actually consumed brewed tea, with Netflix reporting the production typically used PG Tips or Twinings.
Food presentation required two distinct approaches. Head food economist Lisa Heathcote prepared inedible items for background ball scenes so display food would not spoil under lights. However, for actual dining scenes, real food made primarily from raw vegetables was served so actors could eat safely across multiple takes.
Royal Horses and Historical Wigs
Cast members were assigned specific horses during production. Jonathan Bailey rode a black Spanish Friesian named Jack, while Simone Ashley rode a Spanish Bay horse named Nirvana. Most animals became attached to their respective riders during season one and returned for season two filming, alongside reference to Regé-Jean Page's assigned horse.
Queen Charlotte, played by Guyanese-British actress Golda Rosheuvel, was designed around historical research. Executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, creator of Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, the series incorporated historical theories reported by PBS that King George III's wife descended from a Portuguese royal branch with African ancestry.
The late hair and makeup designer Marc Pilcher told Vogue he used period silhouettes combined with braids, locks, and Afro-textured styles. He told Essence that Queen Charlotte's signature giant wig was constructed from four or five separate wigs combined, inspired by Beyoncé's character Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember.
Costumes and Old Hollywood Inspirations
Other character styling was driven by actor input. Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury, requested a cane and hat after researching Regency period menswear. Andoh told New African magazine she wanted her character to embody masculine elements within her femininity to reflect her unique position of wealth and power as a widow.
For Lady Featherington, played by Polly Walker, costume designer Marc Pilcher told Vogue he noticed 1950s influences during her first fitting. He merged 1950s styling inspired by Elizabeth Taylor and Deborah Kerr with traditional Regency silhouettes.
Offscreen, Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise Bridgerton, and Coughlan are close personal friends. Showrunner Chris Van Dusen told Screenrant the writers' room referred to the pair as "PenEloise," a hashtag widely adopted by fans on social media. Meanwhile, Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, wore an emerald and diamond brooch in season one that belonged to his late mother.
Intimacy Coordinators and Small Regency Beds
Physical details extended to intimate sequences. Jonathan Bailey revealed on British television show Lorraine that makeup artists had to apply body powder to his lower back and rear to remove skin shine before filming a sex scene.
Lead costumes were crafted at scale. Phoebe Dynevor, who played Daphne Bridgerton, told Glamour she had 93 custom hand-embroidered dresses made by a team of six costumers. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick told Buzzfeed that Daphne initially wore light blue to represent innocence, before transitioning to richer, dustier tones after marriage.
Intimacy scenes in season one, episode six were strictly managed by intimacy coordinators. Showrunner Chris Van Dusen and Dynevor both told E! News that intimate sequences between Daphne and Regé-Jean Page were choreographed step by step like complex stunt work.
During a pivotal sex scene where Daphne asserts control over her husband, intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot told Vulture that Dynevor specifically requested to unbraid her own hair and push Simon away, framing the action as a physical demonstration of power.
Talbot also revealed that the small dimensions of authentic Regency-era beds created practical filming challenges, as the crew had to prevent the 5-foot-11 Page from rolling off the narrow frames during active scenes.
Filming Secrets and On-Set Gestures
To manage outdoor weather conditions, the rained-out courtyard party scene at the Hastings estate was filmed entirely indoors on a soundstage. Set director Gina Cromwell told Buzzfeed that a large drainage tank and pipe system were built beneath the set to collect water without flooding the studio.
Character details included villainous inspirations and hidden props. Hair designer Marc Pilcher told Vogue that Cressida Cowper, played by Jessica Madsen, was modeled after Nellie Oleson from Little House on the Prairie. For Marina Thompson, played by Ruby Barker, costume designer John Glaser explained that her "lover's eye" pendant symbolized her secret pregnancy and hidden lover.
Coughlan recalled to Variety that filming her season one finale reveal as Lady Whistledown required strict COVID-19 protocols and secret travel from Ireland. Finally, Golda Rosheuvel told E! News she intentionally repeated a physical gesture from season one by lifting Edwina Sharma's chin in season two in the exact same manner she had previously lifted Daphne's chin.
