Nicola Coughlan told her fans to ‘follow their dreams’ as she shared a picture of when she was ‘desperate and broke’ before getting her big break.
She’s one of the biggest stars of the moment, as the star of Netflix hit series Bridgerton and her first claim to fame, Derry Girls.
But the Galway girl said she will never take that for granted after struggling to make it in the years running up to catching a break in the industry.
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Sharing an image on Instagram, she said: “This is a picture of me from six years ago when I was a waitress.
“I remember taking it and joking about how bad my hair looked cos I hadn’t been able to afford to get it done in months. During this time I was so desperate to be acting and unsure that I would ever get to.
"I was really broke and really disheartened.”
The 35-year-old said she wanted to share the image to encourage others not to give up on their dreams.
She said: “Just sharing because I’m so deeply grateful of all the things I’ve been lucky enough to do since this picture was taken. I’m in constant disbelief at the good fortune I’ve had, the people I worked with, and the people I’m about to work with.
“It’s overwhelming to think back but I’m so grateful to all the kindness and support people have shown me and know I never take a moment of this for granted.
“Follow ya dreams kids,” she concluded.
It comes after Nicola revealed she still has fears of “having nothing” as she opened up about how she used to drown in student loans.
She said: “That fear of having nothing is still there. I was in debt with student loans, I was working minimum wage and the rent was so high.
“I only got Derry Girls five years ago so it’s not long since I’ve been able to go and buy a coffee and not have a panic attack.
“So I reckon I’ll have a few more years of thinking, ‘I hope I have some money in my bank account’.”
The actress said going through hard times has made her more appreciative of what she has.
And she still says she still has imposter syndrome, and told that she sometimes feels like she’s won a competition.
She told the RTE Guide: “I still wonder, ‘How did this happen?’ Even at the Baftas I was wondering, ‘Why am I in a room with all these people?’
“So I do feel like I’ve won a competition but that’s something a lot of people in the industry grapple with, women more than men I believe.”
