Nicola Coughlan says filming I Am Helen was ‘intense’ and she wanted to quit
The Irish actress stars in a new instalment of the Channel 4 anthology series.
Nicola Coughlan has said working on her latest TV show, I Am Helen, was “really intense” and she wanted to quit.
The latest instalment of Channel 4’s award-winning I Am anthology series stars Coughlan as the title character, who is navigating the breakdown of her five-year relationship amid increasingly toxic and controlling behaviour.
Her character struggles as her partner Steve (Joe Cole) becomes increasingly influenced by online “manosphere” content, with his behaviour escalating into verbal abuse, intimidation and emotional manipulation.
The Irish actress, 39, discussed the filming experience while appearing on BBC One’s The Graham Norton Show.
“It is such an unusual project as it is completely improvised and quite a tough subject matter,” Coughlan said.
“I felt sick every day with nerves and thought, ‘When can I quit, I want to go home.’
“You really don’t know what the show is until you see it, and it is strange to watch it back.
“It was quite mad and a very different way of working – a really intense but amazing experience.”
The Galway-born star is the latest actress to feature in the I Am series, which explores women’s experiences through standalone stories and tackles issues including mental health, toxic relationships and ageing.
The show returns this month with its first instalment since 2022, when Kate Winslet starred in I Am Ruth alongside her real-life daughter Mia Threapleton.
Winslet won a Bafta TV Award for her performance in the drama, which explored a fraught mother-daughter relationship and the impact of social media on mental health.
Coughlan also discussed her upcoming role in the sixth series of Only Murders In The Building, which stars Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin as a crime-solving trio who host a true-crime podcast and investigate murders.
“It was very unexpected,” she said.
“I love the series and watch it with my mum.
“It is such a ridiculous cast – everyone is too famous. It was amazing fun to do, and I loved it.”
While Coughlan’s role remains largely under wraps, the Bridgerton actress joins a long list of famous faces who star in the new series, which is set in London for the first time.
The show is known for its A-list celebrity guests, and will also feature David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Geri Halliwell-Horner and Martin Freeman, as well as Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker and Simone Ashley.
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday at 10.40pm.