"Derry Girls" star Nicola Coughlan has said that she feels a "moral responsibility" to advocate for the people of Palestine.
In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, the Galway actress, Nicola Coughlan, discussed her frequent support for Palestine on Instagram.
Coughlan, who also stars in the hit series "Bridgerton", has raised tens of thousands of euros for people in Gaza through Instagram fundraisers since the outbreak of the conflict with Israel on October 7.
She told Teen Vogue that she felt obliged to use her fame to help the people of Gaza, especially the children.
"I think it’s important to me because firstly, I’m a very privileged person,” she told Teen Vogue.
"I’m so lucky I’ve gotten to this point in my career, and I’m privileged as a white woman, first off. Then the fact that I get to do the job I love and travel the world and meet amazing people, I feel a moral responsibility to give back.
"Even before I was on television, I was involved in different causes. I went campaigning door-to-door for marriage equality in Ireland, I went on marches for abortion rights. I’ve always cared about causes and social justice.
"To me, it always becomes about supporting all innocent people, which sounds oversimplified, but I think you’ve got to look at situations and just think, Are we supporting innocent people no matter where they’re from, who they are? That’s my drive."
Coughlan added that there is a "huge connection" and a "shared history" between the people of Ireland and the people of Palestine.
However, she said advocating for Palestine carries risks in Hollywood, adding that certain agencies and studios are reluctant to work with her because of her advocacy.
She said that will not deter her from wearing her Artists4Ceasefire pin and advocating for the people of Palestine on social media.
"You do get told, ‘You won’t get work,’ ‘You won’t do this.’ But I also think, deep down, if you know that you’re coming from a place of ‘I don’t want any innocent people to suffer,’ then I’m not worried about people’s reactions.
"More of us should be trying to understand… how upsetting and traumatizing this is for Jewish people, and how horrific it is that all these innocent people in Palestine are being murdered."
Coughlan's advocacy has inspired some "Bridgerton" fans to start their own online fundraisers, which the Galway actress describes as a "testament" to the generosity of her followers.
"I feel like, in the nicest way possible, my opinion on situations doesn't matter, but because I have a platform and I have a couple of million people on there if I can raise a little bit of money, isn't that an amazing thing to do?"
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