Nicola Coughlan says she 'would never' return to 'perfect' Derry Girls series as she graces cover of TIME

The popular actor, who also stars on Bridgerton, was speaking to TIME as the magazine released the 2024 list of Next Generation Leaders; the list highlights 11 trailblazers from around the globe who are leading with empathy, challenging the status quo, and forging solutions for a brighter future.

Notably, the list spotlights Nicola, who is featured on the cover and also tells TIME about how Bridgerton changed the trajectory of her life, her advocacy efforts for the people of Gaza, and navigating being in the public eye.

The article also outlines how Nicola, who is from Galway, is ‘not keen’ to ‘repeat herself’ anytime soon and that includes going back to Derry Girls.

She said: “People often ask about Derry Girls and if I’m going to do more. I would never. To me it was three [seasons] and it was perfect. And Bridgerton—long may it continue—but when that ends, I don’t want to do another Bridgerton.”

Other highlights from the interview included why she wanted to speak out about the Israel-Hamas war: “My dad passed away a couple of years ago, and I don’t really speak about him very much, because it’s very personal." Her father worked as a peacekeeper for the U.N., and her family lived in Jerusalem before she was born. “That was literally what he was doing—trying to broker peace in that area.”

She also spoke about the narratives around her body.

On the narratives around her body: “I’m a few sizes below the average size of a woman in the U.K. and I’m seen as a ‘plus-size heroine’... Making it about how I look is reductive and boring. What if I was suddenly going to play a ballerina and lose a sh-t-ton of weight, are you not going to like me anymore? That’s insane and so insulting."

She also spoke of facing her growing popularity: “Nowadays, people have their camera phones pointed at you and they’ll post where you are in real time...It’s a real invasion.”

You can read Nicola’s TIME interview at www.time.com