'Bridgerton' Star Nicola Coughlan Says Her Teenage Self Would Be 'So Happy' for How Far She's Come (Exclusive)

The actress, who's also appearing in Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' movie this summer, opened up to PEOPLE about her career achievements during Netflix's Tudum fan event in Brazil

Nicola Coughlan is feeling proud of her achievements.

The actress knows her teenage self would be thrilled to see where adult Nicola is now in her career, which has gone from strength to strength over the last few years.

“Oh my God, I’d be so, so happy,” Coughlan, 36, told PEOPLE on Saturday at Netflix’s Tudum: A Global Fan Event in São Paulo.

Coughlan rose to fame playing Clare Devlin in British comedy Derry Girls, before landing the role of Penelope Featherington in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton. 

This year she will also star as “Diplomat Barbie” in Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. A character poster of the star shows her wearing a sparkly pink dress with large tulle sleeves alongside the words, “This Barbie is a diplomat.”

Related: 'Bridgerton' 's Nicola Coughlan Compares Fame to 'Being a Dog on the Tube': It's 'The Same Energy'

Coughlan told PEOPLE that her life now is “what I’ve always wanted — and I think something about it happening to me not in my 20s, it makes me look at it with a different lens, and I appreciate it so much. I mean ... my job gets to bring me to Brazil and to meet all these people. I never thought I’d get to do something like that, and it’s really special.”

Coughlan also raved about attending the Netflix fan event on Sunday via a series of snapshots on her Instagram showing herself wearing a black off-the-shoulder dress with sculptured sleeves and blue gloves. 

“🦋TUDUM Show Day 🦋,” she wrote. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to process being on stage in front of 15,000 of you but Brazil you could not have given me a warmer welcome and it’s been beyond an honour to meet so many of you and feel the love you have for Bridgerton. Now can we have a little commotion for the dress?”

She captioned a video of herself on the red carpet simply with the Portuguese word for "thank you": "Obrigada."

Related: 'Bridgerton' First Look: See Penelope and Colin Exchange Loving Looks in Season 3

At the event, the streaming service teased what’s in store for Bridgerton and released a few glamorous glimpses at season 3.

The next season of the Regency drama will follow the relationship of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Coughlan’s character as she continues to lead a double life as Lady Whistledown, the anonymous writer who details the gossip of "the ton" and who is voiced by Dame Julie Andrews.

At the end of season 2, Penelope’s best friend Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) discovered that she was Lady Whistledown, which caused tension in their friendship.

In one image from season 3, which started filming last July, Colin is seen smirking at a giddy Penelope, while another shot shows the duo gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.

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Seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton — and its spinoff Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story — can be streamed in full on Netflix. Barbie hits theaters on July 21.

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