Nicola Coughlan always wanted to be a "gay icon".
Nicola Coughlan covers Harper's Bazaar (Harper’s Bazaar UK/Agata Pospieszynska)
The 37-year-old actress will take centre stage in the third season of 'Bridgerton' when the focus shifts to her character Penelope Featherington and she admitted she is in "disbelief" at being the leading lady as it was never on her list of ambitions because it didn't seem as much "fun".
Speaking to the May issue of Britain's Harper's Bazaar magazine, she said: "I’m in disbelief that I’m the leading lady in a romance show. And it’s not because I find myself hideous, as some people have assumed when I say that - I’ll have you know, in the right lighting I’m a solid seven - but because it’s not something I ever dreamed of.
"When I was a little girl, I wanted to be one of the Gay Icons. 'Bette Midler as CC Bloom? God, that’s so me!' thought six- year-old Nicola.
"I never sought to be the ingénue, purely because they never seemed to get the best lines or looked as if they were having the most fun."
And Nicola admitted she isn't comfortable no longer being "the oddball in the corner".
She said:"In this season of 'Bridgerton', I reprise my role as Penelope Featherington. The major difference is that in the first two seasons, Pen was a supporting character, the oddball in the corner, but this time she’s very much centre-stage.
"The only issue with this is that 'oddball in the corner' is actually a niche I do very well. I’m comfortable there! Strange girl no one pays attention to? Where do I sign up?"
As her public image grows, the 'Big Mood' actress admitted she is "terrified" of the resulting scrutiny.
She said: "I’m terrified of the scrutiny, the opinions, the number of eyes on me; but, ultimately, the thing that’s making me step out of the shadows, even though it terrifies me, is that I’m so proud of the work I’ve done, the people I’ve worked with and these beautiful shows we’ve made.
"I hope I can show the world, along with myself, that sometimes the oddball in the corner can take centre-stage."
The May issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK is on sale from 11 April. Read the full interview with Nicola at https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/nicolacoughlan