Hot Press hooked up last week with "wee lesbian" Clare Devlin, AKA Galway actor Nichola Coughlan, to talk about that remarkable last episode of Derry Girls, and the making of what is already a comedy classic.
“It’s wild and so lovely to be getting messages on Twitter from young gay teens saying it really meant a lot to them seeing that representation,” enthused Nicola Coughlan, whose flawless Bogside accent belies the fact that she’s actually from Galway.
“It was scary to film because the coming out scene was just Saoirse, AKA Erin, and I and I didn’t want to get the tone of it wrong,” she resumed. “A lot of my friends are members of the LGBT community so I was able to talk to them about it. ‘How did you come out and what was the reaction?’ I took it super seriously and it’s been lovely to have that feedback from these young kids saying it feels true to them.
“I read the sixth episode when Jamie-Lee who plays Michelle was in for a costume fitting, and got complete chills when I reached the last scene, which is just so perfectly written. Granda Joe placing his hand on Gerry’s shoulder… oh my God, I’m tearing up thinking about it! It was so exciting and terrifying as well because you’re thinking, ‘We’ve got to pull this off!’ Our director Michael Lennox, who’s been BAFTA and Oscar nominated, made the whole thing look beautiful. I cried the first time I saw Louisa, who plays Orla, dancing to ‘Like A Prayer’. She did it so brilliantly and your heart just breaks for her. It’s this mixture of silliness and seriousness.”
In an in-depth interview, we also get the lowdown on Erin's dog, Toto, miraculously making the Virgin Mary cry and Nicola's other favourite scenes; Kevin McAleer's Uncle Colm cameo; the real Derry Girls; that Whigfield dance; her support for Marriage Equality in the North, and Nicola's latest role in the bodice-ripping Harlots.