Nicola Coughlan has opened up about her support for Palestine and how it has affected her Hollywood career.

In her recent Teen Vogue cover story, the Galway actress said: “I think it’s important to me because firstly, I’m a very privileged person.

“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.”

Coughlan has been vocal on social media about her support for Palestinians. In this interview, she also noted that her activism began long before she landed her break-out role in Derry Girls, being involved in different causes such as marriage equality and abortion rights.

 

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“I’ve always cared about causes and social justice,” she continued. “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 adds that she’s heard that certain agents, agencies and studios potentially won’t want to work with her because of her advocacy, which hasn’t stopped her from wearing her Artists4Ceasefire pin whenever she gets the chance.

“You do get told, ‘You won’t get work,’ ‘You won’t do this’”, she told the publication. “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.”

Coughlan isn’t the only celebrity who’s taken a stance for Palestine. Soon after the October 7 attacks on Israel, hundreds of celebrities, including Jessica Chastain, Quinta Brunson, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, and Mahershala Ali, signed an open letter urging Joe Biden to call for a Ceasefire in Gaza. At the 2024 Oscars, stars such as Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, Ava DuVernay and Ramy Youssef were all seen wearing an Artists4Ceasefire pin.