When it comes to nudity on screen, actors have varying perspectives. Some don’t mind baring all on camera for the sake of a character or an artistic storyline. Others, however, shy away from the idea, opting out of roles that may require nudity. Nicola Coughlan is opening up about her thoughts on the matter when it comes to her approach to the upcoming third season of Bridgerton, which will revolve around her character. Coughlan's sentiments differ from the ones she saw fellow actress Sydney Sweeney share on the matter.
How Does Sydney Sweeney Feel About Nudity?
While speaking with Sirius XM, Nicola Coughlan chatted with host Nicole Ryan about the exciting new season of the period drama and how it pushed her out of her comfort zone. Due to Bridgerton famously having a number of sex scenes, Ryan asked the Derry Girls alum about her own feelings towards nudity and brought up Sydney Sweeney and her approach to nudity. The host said:
No. But it's funny, I mean, there's actresses and actors. Like, I remember reading that Sydney Sweeney was like, in any of the TV shows or movies, she's done she's like, ‘Whatever. My parents love it.’ My parents would not love it.
For context, Sydney Sweeney has starred on HBO's Euphoria, which features explicit nudity, on which the actress has shown her body several times while playing Cassie. She also has gotten nude for the rom-com Anyone But You, and has been very open about her feelings toward nudity in art. She commented on the sexism that is often associated towards actresses who participate in sex scenes, and how she has found ways to empower her characters through some of these sequences.
Even though Nicole Ryan suggests that Sydney Sweeney’s parents “love” her nude scenes, the star has actually said her willingness to be naked on camera was an adjustment for her family. She didn’t prepare her dad for Euphoria and its love scenes, which she admitted to being a mistake. She told Sunday Today:
I didn't prepare my dad at all…so he decided he was going watch it without telling me, with his parents. My dad and my grandpa turned it off and walked out. But my grandma, she's a big supporter of mine.
Even though the women of the Sweeney family were open minded, one would imagine that few parents truly enjoy watching nude scenes. It's often a complex part of the job, and everyone's perspective on the idea is different. However, I’m sure it can often result in some awkward watch parties.
How Nicola Coughlan’s Approach Differs From Sydney Sweeney’s
Bridgerton is known as one of Netflix's most sexually explicit projects. Even though some of Nicola Coughlan’s peers are comfortable with nudity on screen, the actress doesn’t feel the same way. She told the radio hosts that it wasn’t something she was comfortable with, especially since her parents watch the show. With that, she, Nicole Ryan and Ryan Sampson had an exchange that led the actress to double down on a past claim she's made:
Ryan Sampson: How did your family react to some of the more fun scenes in Bridgerton?
Nicole Ryan: I heard that you did ask for a PG version for Mama.
Nicola Coughlan: It's literally written into my contract. People think I'm like saying it as a joke. I just don't want to.
It is so important for actresses to have their own boundaries to be comfortable on set, and I love that the star stuck up for herself with her contract request. There are several actresses who opt out of any sort of nudity for a role, like Julia Roberts, who has discussed not wanting to get nude on screen. Whether your approach is like Sydney Sweeney's or like Nicola Coughlan's, its the ability to choose your own level of comfort that is important and to be respected as an actress regardless of how you feel about showing your body.
Even if there won’t be a lot of nudity in Bridgerton in Season 3, this doesn’t mean the show will be holding back from all the romance and sensuality the show is known for. The Penelope Featherington actress opened up about her love interest on the series making her feel comfortable in uncharted territory. She said:
It’s scary, you know, because the romantic scenes are a big part of it, and that’s very intimidating but thankfully, Luke Newton, who’s my leading man this season is a super great dude. He’s really sweet, he’s very- I have a lot of trust in him and I hope he has it in me, so we navigated that together. But it ended up being one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
Sounds like fans have a lot to look forward to when Bridgerton Season 3 finally becomes available for Netflix subscribers on May 16th 2024. For those looking forward to new episodes, make sure to revisit the first two seasons, which are currently available on the streamer ahead of the highly anticipated upcoming installment. In addition, you can also check out Sydney Sweeney on Euphoria, which has two seasons that are now streamable with a Max subscription.
