Nicola Coughlan Reveals What Makes Her Doctor Who Christmas Special Role Unique Compared to Her Previous Characters
Nicola Coughlan opened up about her genuine experience portraying a ‘modern’ character in the Christmas Special of Doctor Who.
Nicola Coughlan has some unique insights, and she’s not afraid to share them with the world. The actress, known for Bridgerton and Derry Girls, revealed the comfort she felt after portraying a “modern” character in Doctor Who’s Christmas special.
While chatting with Entertainment Weekly, Coughlan stated, “The thing about playing a modern character is it’s just so comfortable.” She shared that she wore a loose dress with tights, expressing how “great” it felt.
The Big Mood star explained that, every day, she arrived on set knowing exactly what she was going to wear. She added, “So it was quite nice to be a modern girl for once, even while traveling through time.”
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Before joining Doctor Who (starring Ncuti Gatwa), Nicola Coughlan admitted that she didn’t know much about the show. However, she revealed that she was familiar with Gatwa, who gained widespread popularity through Netflix’s hit series Sex Education, around the same time she rose to fame for her role in Derry Girls.
Coughlan shared that she has always admired people who worked hard to achieve success, acknowledging that it’s a very “tough industry.” She explained that both she and Gatwa were aware of how “lucky” they were to be on set, doing work they were passionate about.
The Seize Them! star added that she enjoyed spending time with Gatwa in the green room, where they would discuss their experiences and characters.
She remarked, “I told [showrunner] Russell T Davies, ‘I know next to nothing about Doctor Who. I’ll come and play, but I feel like a total novice.’ But then I was learning in real time from Ncuti about so many aspects of the Doctor. It was pretty cool to be learning it directly from the Doctor.”
In the Christmas special, Coughlan’s character encounters Gatwa’s Doctor after checking into a hotel, only to discover that it is a Time Hotel—an interdimensional place.
Catch Nicola Coughlan in Doctor Who: Joy to the World on December 25, streaming on Disney+.
