Nicola Coughlan Defies Career Warnings to Advocate for Palestine
LONDON: Irish actress Nicola Coughlan has defied career warnings to openly support Palestinian rights, despite being cautioned by Hollywood insiders.
The star of “Bridgerton” and “Derry Girls” revealed to Teen Vogue that she has faced pressure not to speak out, but she remains a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza, proudly wearing an Artists4Ceasefire pin.
“You do get told, ‘you won’t get work, you won’t do this,’ but I also think, deep down, if you know that you’re coming from a place of ‘I don’t want any innocent people to suffer,’ then I’m not worried about people’s reactions,” she said.
Coughlan’s family history in Jerusalem has fueled her passion for the cause. “My family lived in Jerusalem back in the late ‘70s, early ’80s, before I was born, so I heard first-hand stories about them living there.”
She attributes her commitment to her father, an Irish military veteran who worked in war-torn regions, inspiring her to make a difference.
“I’m so lucky I’ve gotten to this point in my career, and I’m privileged as a white woman, first off.
“Then the fact that I get to do the job I love and travel the world and meet amazing people, I feel a moral responsibility to give back.”
Her dedication to the cause has not wavered, emphasizing, “To me, it always becomes about supporting all innocent people, which sounds oversimplified, but I think you’ve got to look at situations and just think, ‘Are we supporting innocent people no matter where they’re from, who they are?’ That’s my drive.”
Coughlan acknowledges the role of social media in advocacy but stresses the importance of understanding the perspectives of all affected parties. “More of us should be trying to understand how upsetting and traumatising this is for Jewish people, and how horrific it is that all these innocent people in Palestine are being murdered,” she added.
In recent times, several Hollywood personalities faced backlash for their stance on the issue. Mexican actress Melissa Barrera was removed from the cast of the latest “Scream” film due to her pro-Palestine social media posts, while director Jonathan Glazer sparked controversy for using his Oscars acceptance speech to criticize the Gaza war.