Nicola Coughlan knows she has played Clare on Derry Girls for "the last time"
Nicola Coughlan on leaving Derry Girls behind
The 35-year-old actress stars as teenager Clare Devlin in the Channel 4 comedy set during The Troubles - which is set to come to an end with its third series later this month - and admitted that saying goodbye to her character has been a "really emotional thing."
She said: "I know I’ve played Clare for the last time. Although saying goodbye to a character is a really emotional thing, like a friend you’ll never see again."
The 'Bridgerton' actress stars alongside Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell in Lisa McGee's Northern Irish sitcom and teased that while the schoolgirls are "still a bunch of idiots", the final series will show the "end of their innocence" as the characters continue to navigate their way during the conflict in the late 1990s and approach the Good Friday Agreement.
In a joint interview with her co-stars, she told The Metro: "They're still a bunch of idiots. It’s the end of their innocence, in a way, but you’re not going to think: 'Oh, wow, what a metamorphosis!'"
Meanwhile, Jamie-Lee - who takes on the role of wild child Michelle in the series - spoke of how "rewarding" it was to meet fans when the show was being filmed in her hometown of Derry.
She said: "Seeing kids from our schools and communities there, sometimes standing for hours in the rain when all they want to do is say hello and have a picture? That’s overwhelming and rewarding."
However, Nicola went on to quip that she would rather just have the money generated from the merchandise.
She said: "There are mugs and socks with our faces on. I just want the money from it, if I’m honest!"