Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has revealed what she found different and "free" about her role in new series Big Mood.
The actress takes on the role of Maggie in the Channel 4 sitcom, who navigates her friendship with Eddie (Lydia West) as they reach a pivotal part of their lives, with the show exploring themes such as mental health.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other media about the series, Coughlan was asked whether she was able to use more of her comedy talents after taking on a serious role in Bridgerton.
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"I think, because this was written by one of my best friends, it’s very much the vernacular and for me, so it was really nice. It’s very much the way in which we speak to one another so I felt a lot of freedom in the performance," the star said.
Coughlan recalled that "it was very obvious" who Maggie was upon reading the scripts, and that she told director Rebecca Asher that she wanted to be "quite free in the performance".
Comparing Big Mood and Bridgerton, she further explained: "You have to be cognisant of editing and something like Bridgerton, which will do like 40 takes for a single scene and 20 different camera angles. You have to be super aware of every single movement you’re doing.
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"In this, I really didn’t want to be and they’re very different shows, but I felt super, super free to play her as I felt she should be played and with that kind of looseness and freedom. So yeah, it was great but it was super, super challenging.
"We shot this in all in seven weeks... I was shooting both shows at the same time for the first half of this, so it was quite mad but it was a really special experience."
Big Mood will be available to watch and stream on Channel 4 from March 28.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
