A ‘Bridgerton’ Actress Was Absolutely Sure That She’d Be Fired Before The Show Even Began Filming

The time has almost come for Bridgerton‘s second season, and the Shondaland show is going to go for at least four full seasons. In the meantime, ready yourself for more scandal as Lord Anthony Bridgerton begins to maneuver through courting season in search of his viscountess. In the meantime, prepare to see more interviews about sex-scene props and corsets, and also, actress Nicola Coughlan (who portrays Penelope, who’s doing a lot of juggling this season with that secret of hers) is opening up about how it all began: with fears.

The Derry Girls actress sat down with the New York Times and revealed that she was thrilled to join the ensemble cast, but she also figured that she’d be canned before things got real. That’s not something that one would expect from an actress who’s also pulling off some duplicity within the role, but yes, really:

Told that she had the part, Coughlan tempered her enthusiasm. She had known plenty of actors who were hired onto prestige projects and then fired when the studio demanded a bigger name. “I should have been like, This is amazing,” she said. “Instead, I was like, This is fishy. I don’t know about this.” She remained tense throughout the first table read.

That’s rather wild, since it’s almost impossible to envision another actress popping into the Penelope role with the same mix of vulnerability, entrepreneurship, and ingenuity. Plus, she can pull off a yellow dress like few people can. It’s worth noting as well, that Bridgerton showrunner Chris Van Dusen was thrilled with Nicola’s performance and said “everyone loved her as much as I did.” Now, let the scandal pages begin anew.

Bridgerton (along with Lady Whistledown) returns on March 25.