Nicola Coughlan Responds to *That* Discourse About Her Age

Nicola Coughlan is 37, a fact that some corners of the internet have only just discovered over the past few weeks.

Over on Twitter, a bunch of people have been writing the likes of, "Nicola Coughlan is 37?!???????????!!!??????!!!!!??????"

Upon finding this out, one person wrote, "NO. That is crazy. I googled it and still think you’re lying."

Another said, "I discovered this yesterday and my head exploded"

And another added, "Skin like glass!"

One potential reason why people think Coughlan is younger than she is is that she is known for two specific roles as a teenager, Derry Girls and Bridgerton. But in a new interview with Teen Vogue, the actress expressed her puzzlement over people being shocked that she's not, like, 23.

"It’s super funny to me to see that [discourse] because I’ve never hidden my age," Coughlan said.

She also explained it was all particularly ironic because casting directors refused to audition her before she landed Derry Girls, precisely because of her age.

"They said I was too old, and I was in my late 20s then—which is so sad that that would be considered 'too old,'" she said. "In acting it’s all about suspension of disbelief. I always use the same comparison: Ian McKellen isn’t a wizard. I’m not a 19-year-old aristocrat from the 19th century. It’s all made up."

Coughlan did give one potential explanation for her youthful appearance: "Growing up in the west of Ireland with very little sunlight, and not being able to afford holidays to sunny places, probably did my skin a lot of good," she said.

She's not wrong: Marie Claire editors have no problem telling you until they're blue in the face that protecting your skin from UV rays via SPF is the most important factor in preventing sun spots, fine lines and wrinkles.

Anyway, so yeah, Nicola Coughlan is 37. That's it, that's the story.