Stranger Things could have looked very different, as Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan went for fan-favourite role

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So, I found out something pretty cool! Nicola Coughlan, who you probably know from Derry Girls and Bridgerton, actually auditioned for a role in Stranger Things! Can you imagine? She recently shared which character she went for, and it totally makes sense. It’s wild to think how different things could have been if she’d landed that part!

The actor recently appeared on Saturday Night Live UK and will soon be featured in the second season of the popular show Big Mood. They’re also starring in the new film The Magic Faraway Tree.

While promoting her new project at Capital FM, she shared that Robin Buckley was someone she had previously auditioned.

I almost auditioned for Stranger Things! I made it to the first round, and I was trying out for the role of Robin – the one Maya Hawke eventually got. I’m being kind to myself if I say I was close to getting it, though.

She chuckled, saying, “You ever watch a show and think, ‘Wow, I’m glad that didn’t happen to me – I’d have handled it even worse!’”

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Coughlan explained she didn’t believe she was likely to get the role, but fans can still have fun picturing what it would have been like if a different actress had played the character, who was first introduced in the third season of Stranger Things.

The popular and in-demand actor will soon star in I Am Helen, the newest installment of Channel 4’s I Am anthology series.

The project offers a female perspective on the manosphere, and centers around a romance with a man who becomes increasingly involved in the ideologies examined in the recent series Adolescence and Louis Theroux’s documentary, Inside The Manosphere.

Nicola was officially cast in the role last July, though specifics about the project weren’t revealed then. She expressed her excitement, saying it was a great honor to contribute to the next installment of I Am… alongside Dominic Savage, whom she praised as a uniquely gifted storyteller dedicated to portraying the complexities of women’s lives.

It feels amazing to be working on this project, especially following the incredible women who have contributed to it before me. I’m really grateful for this opportunity.

You can watch Stranger Things and Bridgerton on Netflix. I Am Helen will be shown on Channel 4 sometime in the future.

The latest issue of Living Legends, a vibrant 100-page tribute to Harry Styles, is now available! You can find it in newsagents or purchase it online for only £8.99.

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2026-03-26 00:49