Fans in disbelief over Netflix star Nicola Coughlan’s real age

A famous actor is going viral because people online have been absolutely shocked to discover her age.

People have been shocked to learn her real age. Picture: Instagram/NicolaCoughlan

Irish actor Nicola Coughlan is going viral because people are shocked by her age.

The star got her big break on the Irish television show Derry Girls, which became a cult hit. She then secured immense stardom for her work on the Netflix period romance Bridgeton, which went viral during the peak of the pandemic and has continued to be a hit.

She’s been a working actor for years but didn’t achieve mainstream success until around 2020 when Bridgeton became a megahit.

Now, the actress is going viral because fans have been surprised to discover that the baby-faced actor isn’t in her 20s.

Coughlan is 37, and while she might be new to international fame and fans, she’s been in the industry for years.

She's a hugely successful star. Picture: Instagram/NicolaCoughlan

People were in a tizz over her age. Picture: Instagram/NicolaCoughlan

The viral reaction began when a viewer of Derry Girls shared their surprise online. They had been watching the show and assumed Coughlan was around 19 to 21 years old at the time of filming, leading them to believe she would now be in her mid-20s.

“This queen is 37 years old,” the comment concluded.

She was called a queen. Picture: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

She got her big break on Derry Girls. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Their comment went viral on Instagram, and people were reacting in shock to learn that she was in her 30s and admiring her age-defying looks.

One wrote: “I don’t understand how she looks so young,” and plenty of shocked comments followed.

“I literally thought she was in her mid-20s! What.”

“What????? Are you kidding??? Tell me her skincare.”

“Wait …. I thought she was in her twenties, 22-25 specifically. She has one of the finest faces ever and is ageing like golden wine.”

“How is this even possible? No kidding, she looks like my little sister! It’s like she’s found the fountain of youth,” one fan joked.

People have been shocked to learn her real age. Picture: Instagram/NicolaCoughlan

Coughlan’s age also kicked off another conversation. Picture: Joe Maher/Getty Images

Interestingly, the discussion surrounding Coughlan’s age also kicked off another conversation about how being in your 30s doesn’t mean you look old.

“Every time someone mentions Nicola Coughlan, there’s some sort of reference to ‘can you believe she’s 37?’ As if 37 makes you a dusty old crone,” one complained.

“I honestly don’t know what they expect a 37-year-old woman to look like?” Another asked.

“If I see one more tweet marvelling at how Nicola Coughlan looks young for 37, I will vomit. The woman is 37,” one wrote.

Coughlan is pretty private, but she did address in 2021 that she wasn’t interested in talking about her body on Twitter.

“Every time I’m asked about my body in an interview, it makes me deeply uncomfortable and so sad I’m not just allowed to just talk about the job I do that I so love,” she wrote.

She added that she was writing from the point of view of being an actor and not a body positivity activist.

“I would lose or gain weight if an important role requirement. My body is the tool I use to tell stories, not what I define myself by,” she said.