Here's The Important Meaning Behind Nicola Coughlan's Latest Red Carpet Look
Nicola Coughlan's latest red carpet look is a nod to her activist work.
The Bridgerton and Derry Girls star recently attended the Canneseries Festival — a TV festival in France — where she was given the Konbini Commitment Award. It's an award given "to talent who have distinguished themselves by the artistic quality and societal, innovative and/or revolutionary dimension of their work."
For the occasion, she wore a custom Robert Wun couture dress fittingly called"The Peace Lily Gown."
As the name implies, the flower typically symbolizes"peace, tranquility, and purity."
In her acceptance speech, she said, "In Northern Ireland, after decades of violence, peace was achieved with the vital involvement of the United States. Today, as we witness the relentless destruction of Gaza, I can't help but believe that if those in power step in and all of us with a moral conscience speak up, there could be peace there, too. Those children living in fear deserve a future, and we should not sit by in silence."
Nicola has made sartorial nods to Palestine before, having worn her Artists4Ceasefire pin to most press events in recent months. She recently said of her support of Palestine, 'There is a factor of 'it's better if you say nothing' because our job is to entertain you...We are talking about right or wrong, about children being bombed in their beds. I wouldn't accept that anywhere in the world.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Why Nicola Coughlan Is the Soul of ‘Bridgerton' and Deserves an Emmy Nomination
Anyone who's seen Nicola Coughlan in 'Derry Girls' knows that she's a brilliant comedic performer. As nerdy teenager Clare Devlin, Coughlan made teenage anxiety immensely physical and palpable — firing her dialogue with all the air in her lungs, walking with so much propulsive energy she was nearly tripping over herself. In 'Bridgerton' Season 3, Coughlan similarly portrays adolescent turmoil, but through subtler and more internal means. As wallflower Penelope Featherington, who harbors a double identity as the controversial Lady Whistledown, Coughlan was tasked not just with making the ton's resident introvert a mesmerizing lead but also with bringing humanity to her character's morally ambiguous actions. More from Variety 'Last of Us' Creator Craig Mazin Reminds Angry Fans That Pedro Pascal Lives On, Even if His Character Doesn't: 'He's Alive and He's in Literally Everything Else' 'Severance' Creator Dan Erickson Discusses the 'Depressing' Lumon Industries - While Touring Lumen, the Actual Name for Variety's Office Building 'There Is No Feud': Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood Tell All on Their 'White Lotus' Connection, a Cut Love Scene and Yes, Why He Unfollowed Her on Instagram Coughlan nails it: the hit Netflix show's third season sees Penelope fully step into the spotlight as a romantic interest. In Penelope's evolution, Coughlan captures how a young woman's coming of age is defined as much by her own personal choices as it is by her struggle against society's expectations for women. And Coughlan makes a case for herself as an excellent dramatic lead, the kind that Emmy voters should pay attention to. That's because Coughlan has to reconcile two conflicting aspects of her character. One is the standard teenage heroine. Penelope previously existed mainly on the sidelines, a spinster-to-be. Her transformation into the center of attention is literally represented through a glow-up: there's a scene in which she enters a ballroom sporting a completely different fashion and hair and makeup. Coughlan's tentative delight as she notices the amount of eyes on her instantly makes viewers root for her. She establishes Penelope as our favorite underdog. This idea is complicated by the fact that Penelope wields actual power as the anonymous writer behind an all-knowing gossip rag that can completely make or break someone's reputation. The journey that Penelope undergoes in becoming the main character is something Lady Whistledown already pulled off; Penelope has been the main character all along; it's just that now, she must own up to that status — including the hurt she caused to attain it. It's to Coughlan's credit that these emotional threads stay together. She grounds Penelope's characterization in a fundamental sincerity. Penelope's flaws are humanizing, never outright villainous, and neither are they completely ignored. She's an intelligent young person, but she's not immune to her age. Coughlan realistically captures what it's like to be in the throes of adolescence, fumbling toward the person you want to be. Take, for instance, the scenes when Penelope tries to flirt with a gentlemen for the first time. Her awkward attempts at conversation are incredibly entertaining and charming as Coughlan leans into the cringe. For all of Penelope's brilliance as a proto-journalist, she can't help her social inexperience. Similarly, Coughlan taps into a universal feeling when Penelope asks her childhood friend and longtime crush, Colin Bridgerton, to kiss her. Having just run away from a ballroom where everyone had been talking judgmentally about her, Penelope tells Colin, 'It would not have to mean anything.' Simply, 'I do not wish to die without ever having been kissed.' Coughlan brings heart and sensitivity to Penelope's longing for romantic validation. And in Penelope's pragmatic pursuit of a husband, Coughlan translates her character's internal struggle. Penelope must secure a marriage, but she's cautious about her romantic decisions, as she prizes her independence and, of course, her work. A shot of Coughlan's serving face in the midst of scribbling is certainly memeable, but Coughlan does make the viewer understand the gravity of Penelope's intellectual endeavors and her hesitation at giving them up for love. The night before Penelope's wedding to Colin, she tells dressmaker Madame Delacroix that 'I felt like I was losing a part of myself' when she attempted to stop writing. It is her ultimate form of self-expression. That's where Lady Whistledown originated from: a young woman's desire for agency. If Penelope's approach was messy and slightly misguided, Coughlan's portrayal indicates that her actions as Lady Whistledown sometimes reflected the missteps of youth. 'You were a girl who did not know her own power,' Madame Delacroix also reminds her. And so Coughlan imbues Penelope's acceptance of accountability with the same earnestness that she treats her character's first romantic encounters. Penelope decides that going forward, she'll punch up rather than punch down. As she states at one point, 'I should've been using the column to give a voice to the other voiceless.' Despite the clichéd declaration, Coughlan makes Penelope's good intentions and activist dedication believable. The night before her wedding, Madame Delacroix tells Penelope that 'there's no such thing as true love without first embracing your true self.' By the end, we see Penelope accept who she is, wallflower and alter ego combined. It's because of Coughlan's nuanced performance that this merging of selves lands so seamlessly. Awards Circuit: Emmys Best of Variety Emmy Predictions: Documentary Programs — Nonfiction Races Spotlight Pee-wee Herman, Simone Biles and YouTube Creators 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar Emmy Predictions: With One Week Until Voting Opens, Declining Submissions Create Tight Acting and Series Races
UPI
2 days ago
- UPI
Look: Stephen Curry, Nicola Coughlan to voice characters in 'GOAT'
1 of 3 | Stephen Curry is producing and voice acting in the new animated movie "GOAT." File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo June 9 (UPI) -- Basketball legend Stephen Curry and Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan have signed on to voice characters in the Sony Pictures Animation movie GOAT. The voice cast for the hoops-themed action-comedy will also include Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Nick Kroll, David Harbour, Jenifer Lewis and Patton Oswalt. Tyree Dillihay is directing the film, which is set in an all-animal world. The movie is slated for theatrical release on Feb. 13.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Netflix brews a clever solution to keep audiences coming back
As streaming giant Netflix (NFLX) looks forward to the second half of 2025, it's already planning a way to outshine the first. That's going to be a tall order, as Netflix's performance has already been impressive this year. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Its Q1 earnings call in April was packed with successes, with a revenue increase of 13% and a rise in operating income and free cash flow. Netflix forecasts 2025 revenue to be at least $43 billion, which would be a double-digit increase over the previous year. Netflix's success can be attributed to a few different elements of its strategy. Naturally, content plays a huge role, both in terms of continuing series that have resonated with audiences and brand-new IPs. After releasing the highly anticipated sequel to the smash hit Korean series "Squid Game" at the end of 2024 to major accolades, Netflix also found itself with a few other hits on its hands, including "Adolescence," season 5 of "You," and season 7 of "Black Mirror." Related: Netflix has a genius plan to find its next big hit show Content aside, Netflix has also seen tremendous success in an area it long resisted: its ad-supported tier. Launched in November 2022, the service has raked in 94 million users to date, proving a perfect antidote to consumer worries about inflation and reducing costs in an uncertain climate. Another key move the company's made is moving into the live sports arena. It kicked off that effort by broadcasting two Christmas Day National Football League (NFL) games and forging a new relationship with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It's also won the broadcast rights in the United States for the 2027 and 2031 Women's World Cups, putting it in a prime position to pull in even more new fans. When it comes to popularity of shows on Netflix, one of the top performers for the platform is "Bridgerton." Based on a novel series by historical romance author Julia Quinn, "Bridgerton" was a smash hit right out of the gate, with Netflix announcing back in 2021 that the show was its biggest series ever at the time, with 82 million global households watching the show in its first 28 days. More Streaming: Walt Disney offers new perks for Disney+ membersBank of America sends strong message on NetflixNetflix has a genius plan to find its next hit show By its third season, "Bridgerton" had broken even more records, joining the list of Netflix's most popular shows of all time with 91.9 cumulative viewers since its May 16, 2024 premiere. As "Bridgerton" showrunners prepare the fourth season for its 2026 debut - a two-year wait for a very fervent fanbase - Netflix is considering how to bridge the gap. And it's found a potential solution. Now, Netflix is brewing its next big success story by taking a classic from an era that's already deeply resonated with viewers and retooling it for a modern audience. Netflix has announced that British showrunner Emma Frost, along with Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Tracey Cook, will direct a limited-series adaption of author Edith Wharton's classic novel "The Age of Innocence." Set in 19th century New York, Wharton's novel is about a passionate love triangle between a man, his wife, and a third woman who he knows he should not be in love with, but cannot help himself. "The new take promises to be true to Wharton's novel but will speak to a new generation as it traverses the ballrooms and bedrooms of its young characters, asking what is love - and what is lust. And should we ultimately be driven by our heads, or by our hearts?" Netflix says in its announcement of the show. Just as executive producer Shonda Rimes reinvented "Bridgerton" by introducing diversity into its universe, it sounds as if "The Age of Innocence" may also get a spin on its treatment. And considering that the novel's original message is a bittersweet one, it will be quite interesting to see if Netflix can pull off the magic of reinventing a bygone era a second time. Related: Netflix is making a change longtime users won't like The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
