Is New LGBTQ Icon Nicola Coughlan Gay? What We Know About Her Support for the Queer Community

Nicola Coughlan has been hailed as an LGBTQ icon for her advocacy for the community's representation in TV shows. The actress, who has supported other human rights, sparked speculation over her sexuality as she once played a queer character and has been tight-lipped about her dating life.

Nicola Coughlan had a long history of onstage and onscreen acting before debuting as Penelope in the Netflix romance drama "Bridgerton." The series earned Coughlan worldwide renown; however, she has noted a few of its inadequacies: the lack of queer storylines.

In March 2022, following the premiere of "Bridgerton" season 2, she expressed that she and her co-stars would love to see more LGBTQ romances in the show. Considering how it is set in a fantasy world and has already started breaking boundaries, she observed that creative freedom is ample.

The "Derry Girls" starlet also added, "It's going to get to a point where it's Penelope's 'season,' and it's a discussion I definitely want to have because that [LGBTQ+] representation is so, so important." Fans of the actress agreed, as one once tweeted that "Bridgerton" was "too heterosexual" but thought Coughlan was still a "gay icon."

Citing images of her characters, another wrote that Coughlan was the "queen of suppressed gay yearning." Another person described her as the "new gay icon," praising her portrayal of an LGBTQ+ character and hoping that that storyline would continue in more depth.

Nicola Coughlan Once Played a Queer Character

Coughlan played the role of high schooler Clare Devlin in the beloved teen sitcom "Derry Girls." She told Digital Spy in 2019 that she knew from the day she auditioned that Devlin was a lesbian. However, her co-stars only discovered shortly before they filmed the finale of Season 2.

The show's creators preferred it that way, as they didn't want to base Devlin's entire character on her sexuality. As Coughlan candidly stated, "Clare is a human being. This is one part of her character." And the audience's response was more than heartwarming. Coughlan was honored to have portrayed Clare Devlin, as she gushed:

"I wanted to try to honor the story and honor the character. The response from people has just been amazing. And it's so heartfelt. So many women have come to me and said, 'I've never seen a lesbian portrayed this way before.'"

Niсola Actively Supports the LGBTQ+ Community

Since before rising to worldwide stardom, Coughlan has used every granted opportunity to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. During Ireland's 2015 referendum for equal marriage, she went door-to-door, encouraging people to vote "Yes." She did so again in 2018 when Ireland held a referendum for abortion law.

When Jonathan Van Ness, an openly gay actor, debuted as a non-binary hairstylist on "Queer Eye," Coughlan was immediately enamored with the star as she told People, "I was like, 'I don't know who that is, but I love that person." She later found that Van Ness felt the same about her work as Devlin, and it wasn't long before the two struck a close friendship that developed into a deep bond.

Nothing Is Known About Nicola Coughlan's Sexual Orientation at the Moment

Coughlan isn't the first celebrity whose sexuality became a subject of interest in recent years, as Jay Leno, Hozier, and Richard Madden, among several others, also came under speculation. In November 2019, several months after the end of the "Derry Girls" second season, someone tweeted, "nicola coughlan please be lesbian. (sic)"

Another fan expressed frustration over trying to find out if the actress was indeed part of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021 but had no luck. Others were satisfied knowing Coughlan was an ally, but the Hollywood starlet has yet to address the speculation or open up about her dating life.