Friday 20 May 2022 12:34 AM Nicola Coughlan looks unrecognisable in throwback snap from Derry Girls audition trends now

Nicola Coughlan looked unrecognisable in a throwback Instagram snap on Thursday as she reminisced on her life changing experience on Derry Girls as the final episode aired. 

The actress, 35, shocked her 2.2 million followers with a selfie from her final audition for her much-loved character Clare Devlin five years ago. 

She compared the old photo to one she took on set after filming an 'emotional' final scene with the hit Channel 4 show.

Alongside the post she wrote: 'Final scene as Clare Devlin/Final audition for Clare Devlin 5 years prior

'It’s impossible to put into words what Derry Girls has meant to me and how much it’s changed my life so I won’t even try. Thank you all so much to you all, what an honour it’s been'

Born in 1987 in Galway, Nicola decided she wanted to become an actress at the age of five.

She graduated with a degree in English and Classical Civilisation from the National University of Ireland before training at the Oxford School of Drama and Birmingham School of Acting.

After suffering from depression, she left London and returned to Ireland where she worked part-time at an optician.

However it was when she took on the role of Penelope Featherington, the youngest Featherington daughter, in Netflix smash hit period drama Bridgerton in 2020 that her star really soared.