Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan has perfect response to those who say diversity doesn’t belong in period dramas

Nicola Coughlan, star of Derry Girlsand Netflix’s popular period drama series Bridgerton, has issued a pitch perfect response to those criticising the show for its diverse cast. 

Bridgerton became one of the must-watch shows on Netflix over the Christmas period and tells the story of a close unit of siblings who attempt to find love in Regency-era England. Unlike most period dramas the show isn’t awash with white faces and features many Black and mixed-race actors.

Unfortunately, this casting has been hit with accusations of not being historically accurate and that you wouldn’t see Black people as members of the gentry in that period. This has prompted some very passionate defenses of the show who have pointed out that there were many Black people who were members of the establishment in that period and that even Jane Austen had included a woman of colour in her unfinished novel Sanditon.

Regardless of these accusations and criticisms, the show has gone on to become one of the biggest original series in Netflix history, having been viewed by more than 63 million households worldwide.

For Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington on the show, these kind of stats are a perfect response to those that have said that ‘diversity in period drama doesn’t work’

The Irish actor added that unlike on IMDB, where users can vote on whatever films and shows they like and dislike, they can’t do the same on Netflix, where Bridgerton is now the fifth-biggest original series in the streaming services history.

Needless to say, Coughlan’s clap back was widely appreciated by fans of the show on Twitter.