Nicola Coughlan salutes Victoria Beckham on stage at Bazaar’s Women of the Year Awards
Coughlan received the Television Actress trophy from her Bridgerton co-star, Golda Rosheuvel
“Thank you, Golda. You really are my Queen.” So said Nicola Coughlan when she accepted her Television Actress prize from Golda Rosheuvel at the annual Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards, in partnership with The Platinum Card® by American Express.
Rosheuvel – who plays Queen Charlotte in the Netflix smash Bridgerton, and its spin-off dedicated to her character – proved the best of enemies to her on-screen adversary on stage, paying moving tribute to Coughlan. “Nicola’s brilliance shines through in every role she undertakes,” she began, referencing, of course, Coughlan’s irresistible portrayal of Penelope Bridgerton (née Featherington), but also, her recent amusing and touching performance in Channel 4’s Big Mood. “She has constantly demonstrated an extraordinary range and depth that few can match.”
The acting duo’s mutual admiration and shared wit lit up the podium. After accepting her trophy, Coughlan pointed out the hills women sometimes still have to climb to challenge the sexism and scrutiny that continue in their industry. “I love being a female actor, but sometimes, it’s fucking hard,” she told the room. After making a powerful case for eliminating misogyny, she saluted another of her heroines in the room – Bazaar’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Victoria Beckham – for her humour, resilience… and hairstyle. The rapt audience learnt how a young Coughlan had snipped off her own locks to match the former pop icon’s Nineties bob.
“When I was a little girl, my favourite pop star was my favourite pop star for a number of reasons,” the actress said. “She was inherently cool; she had this brunette bob that I immediately got cut into my own hair; and she was so funny.” She paused and addressed Beckham directly: “You were my favourite, you’ve always been my favourite!”
