Heading into Season 3 of Bridgerton on Netflix, there was a lot of talk about Nicola Coughlan and her body. From people shaming her, to people celebrating her for showcasing a larger body type on screen, there has been a lot of talk about Coughlan and her looks.
While Coughlan has been quick to point out that she is a normal sized woman, even if she is a bit on the shorter side at 5' 1", that hasn't stopped the conversation at all. And the latest comment came during a premiere event in Dublin, Ireland, when a moderator seemed to allude to Nicola Coughlan's size once again.
So what exactly happened and how did Coughlan respond? Well the moderator could be heard telling the actress that she was "very brave" for taking on this role in Bridgerton. It was one of those moments, where you just don't know how the other person will respond and yet Nicola really handled the comment beautifully.
Coughlan responded in a rather deadpan manner to the comment of being "very brave."
"You know, it is hard, because I think women with my body type — women with perfect breasts — we don’t get to see ourselves on screen enough.Nicola Coughlan
I’m very proud as a member of the perfect breasts community. I hope you enjoy seeing them."
You can see the moment in an Instagram video shared by Buzzfeed UK below.
Considering how many times Nicola Coughlan has already addressed her size and body shape, it makes sense that when called "brave" for taking on this role, she would find a way to make light of it. But in doing so, she also makes it clear how ridiculous the conversation really is.
While the actress might look like she is "plus size" she really isn't. And that is definitely part of the problem with this entire narrative. People keep commenting on her size and yet she is a standard size. At the same time, why must her body be such a big part of the story, when the focus should be on her acting abilities and the story that she is trying to bring life.
The reality is that we aren't talking to men about their body in this way and we aren't calling them brave for showing off some skin, even if it isn't deemed to be perfect. So why are we doing it to the ladies? Why is it always about size and body type?
We love how Nicola Coughlan responded to the comment and we hope more actresses find ways to call out this behavior.