Entertainment TV Nicola Coughlan Was Told She Couldn't Look Like She 'Kissed Someone Before' During Bridgerton Intimate Scenes (Exclusive) Coughlan tells PEOPLE about the challenges of playing a character that "doesn't know what sex is" in season 3 of 'Bridgerton' By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as a digital news writer, covering stories spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed E! Online, Hollywood Life and Oscar.com. People Editorial Guidelines and Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE's TV News team. Upon joining the brand in March 2021, she has had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 16, 2024 10:00AM EDT Close Nicola Coughlan attends the "Bridgerton" Season 3 launch on the grounds of Milton Park Country House on April 21, 2024 in Bowral, Australia. . Photo: James Gourley/Getty Images Nicola Coughlan’s Bridgerton character, Penelope Featherington, is shedding her innocence in season 3. The 37-year-old actress opens up to PEOPLE about the challenges of playing a character that “doesn't know what sex is.” “Even when we had the first kiss, they had to say to me, ‘You can't seem like you kissed someone before,’ which is like, okay, yeah, because even it's hand placement, since it looks a little too mature and you're like, okay, pull it back, she's never done this,” the actress says of her intimate scenes with on-screen love Luke Newton. Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in episode 302 of "Bridgerton". Liam Daniel/Netflix Bridgerton's Luke Newton Jokes He Wasn’t Prepared 'for Stripping Down Naked' on Set with Nicola Coughlan (Exclusive) Newton — who plays Colin Bridgerton on the hit Netflix series — also tells PEOPLE that “ultimately, the goal was for it to seem really authentic to those two characters.” “We just wanted to honor that because people have a lot of love for their relationship, and we wanted to keep it really true to that,” the actor, 31, shares. “So we would have discussions about how their first encounter would be and what the intimacy would be like, and if it would be, and we talked to the intimacy coordinator of even the intensity of the scene and if it was quite...how gentle they would be with each other when it's the start of something and where we can take it from there.” Coughlan admits that keeping Colin and Penelope's friends-to-love romance authentic was important to both her and Newton. Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in episode 301 of "Bridgerton". Liam Daniel/Netflix Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton's Sweetest Moments: From Filming Bridgerton to Their IRL Friendship “The intimacy stuff feels very real,” Coughlan says. “It feels very grounded in two people that are not trying to sort of, that they're awkward in front of one another, this and that, and all of a sudden they become like Lotharios in the bedroom and whatever, they get to be intimate together in a very real and beautiful way, and I think that's what makes it so affecting.” “In those intimate moments, they find moments to laugh and you see them figuring it out and doing it together, and I love it,” she adds. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The first part of Bridgerton season 3 premieres on May 16, and part 2 drops on June 13. Seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton — as well as its spinoff, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story — are now streaming on Netflix.