Nicola Coughlan is now best known for playing Penelope Featherington in ‘Bridgerton‘. But before she became a fan favorite in the Netflix period drama, she auditioned for a key role in ‘Stranger Things‘.
Coughlan didn’t land the part, and most viewers never knew about it. Now, her recent revelation has brought that moment back into focus.
Nicola Coughlan Almost Ended Up In The Upside Down Of ‘Stranger Things’
In an interview with Capital FM, Nicola Coughlan revealed that she auditioned for the role of Robin in ‘Stranger Things’. Robin made her debut in season 3 and quickly became popular for her sarcastic humor and strong personality. Especially her scenes with Steve Harrington became among the show’s most memorable moments.
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At that time, the Irish actor was playing Clara Devlin in the hit Irish sitcom ‘Derry Girls’. That same year, it was announced that she had been cast in the Netflix series ‘Bridgerton’ as Penelope Featherington.
“It would be being generous to myself to say I narrowly missed out on it.” Coughlan told the interviewer, “I did a first-round audition for Stranger Things to play Robin, which Maya Hawke then played.”
Speaking honestly about her audition, Coughlan admitted that it would be “generous” to say she nearly got the role.
She explained that she only made it through the first round and didn’t think she was ever really close to being cast. She even joked that after watching the show, she felt relieved she didn’t get it, saying she probably would have been “way worse.”
Coughlan Has Accepted Missing The Role With A Heart-Warming Conclusion
Though she missed out on the role to Maya Hawke, Coughlan has revealed she has no hard feelings. Instead, the opportunity became a big lesson for her, one important for anyone in the industry to know.
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“It’s a good lesson to actors: Watch the stuff you didn’t get, because you’ll totally understand how it’s not personal,” she stated. She also added, “You’re just right for some things, and you’re not right for other things.”
It is undeniable that viewers would be hard-pressed to imagine anyone other than Maya Hawke in the role of Robin. The actress embodied the character’s edgy and sarcastic persona perfectly.
On the other hand, missing out on this role actually led to Coughlan’s breakthrough on ‘Bridgerton’, where she stole our hearts as the delightfully charming Penelope Featherington. We cannot imagine anyone else in that role as well.
In a way, we are all happy with how things turned out.
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