"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!"
Coughlan went on to say that, while she looked up to the former singer for all of those reasons, what she really admired was her tenacity. "I watched a documentary, as an adult, about the Spice Girls – and it horrified me," she told the audience. "The amount of bullshit you dealt with. The amount of misogyny in the media. The scrutiny about your life... I don't know how you have done it, because I have it a tiny, tiny amount and it's fucking hard."
She wrapped up her speech by pointing out our collective responsibility to the next generation. "The reason I bring this all up is because I believe we stand here in a room full of women who I really admire, and I think we have a responsibility to the young women coming after us. Because I wouldn't be here without women like [Victoria Beckham]... who show us what we can be."
It was a perfect case in point of Rosheuvel’s that Coughlan’s passion for equality, sense of humour, and her being “not just an incredible actress, but a true champion of humanity”, is an inspiration to us all.
