Nicola Coughlan, Lydia West on ‘Big Mood’ Season 2: “It Was a Dream”

Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West are again embracing the messiness of female friendship in season two of Big Mood, and they’re delighted about it.

“It’s a bit of a role reversal in this series,” the Bridgerton and Derry Girls star tells The Hollywood Reporter about creator Camilla Whitehill’s Channel 4 hit. She and West are catching us up over Zoom ahead of the six-parter’s Thursday, Apr. 16 release, available on Tubi in the U.S.

The Irish actress is referring to the lead duo, Maggie and Eddie, who are continuing to figure out life as two 30-something-year-olds in East London. Their absurd adventures remain speckled with moments of jolting sincerity — centering on Maggie’s bipolar disorder and Eddie’s unaddressed grief — slotting the “dark” into this dark comedy.

“Maggie’s trying really hard to be the stable one,” Coughlan says about her character in this installment, “and Eddie’s the one going through a crisis — not that she really realizes it.” Season two revolves around the pair, having not spoken for a year after Eddie left for L.A. without Maggie, re-entering one another’s lives. Except Eddie’s come back with a friend in tow, Whitney (Hannah Onslow), whose ulterior motives are swiftly sussed out by everyone except Eddie.

“She is this hippie, spiritual guru-TikTok influencer,” explains West. “But Eddie buys into her charm [and] a world which Eddie has never really seen before. And Eddie’s really vulnerable. Someone like that preys on the vulnerable.”

Luckily, she has Maggie looking out for her. Even with distance — emotional and physical — between them, Coughlan and West’s onscreen chemistry is a safe bet. “There’s a real warmth and ease between them,” says Lotte Beasley, executive producer at Dancing Ledge Productions. “They’re exceptional comic performers, but they also bring an emotional honesty that makes you root for Maggie and Eddie’s friendship, even when it’s at its most chaotic.”

Below, Coughlan and West dive into season two of Big Mood. They discuss the pressure of representing the bipolar community onscreen, their favorite British pop culture references and that downright perfect celebrity guest star episode: “It’s such a good trait when someone’s not afraid to take the complete piss out of themselves. And he just really went for that.”

Where do we pick up with Maggie and Eddie in season two?

LYDIA WEST We leave season one with Eddie catching a flight to L.A. without Maggie, and we see their exit, Eddie getting into the car. [In season two] we flash forward, we’re a year later, and we’re at one of our friends’ weddings, and we’re both bridesmaids for this wedding. We haven’t spoken in a year. Eddie is now off-grid, so she hasn’t got a phone. She’s not on social media or anything. Nobody really knows if Eddie’s going to turn up. And then she does.

Has there been any personal growth for either of them that’s happened off-camera?

NICOLA COUGHLAN Yeah, I think Maggie’s definitely trying her best. She’s trying to do all of the correct things that you’re supposed to do as a stable person. She’s doing yoga and Peloton and taking vitamins and doing all that stuff. [Laughs.] Just trying to better herself. But I think she’s gone [for] an extreme version of that, which I’m not sure is very true to who she actually is. And she’s missed Eddie absolutely terribly, and, yeah, gets the shock of her life when she turns up at this wedding.

What do you think fans can expect, Nicola?

COUGHLAN It’s a bit of a role reversal in this series. I think because Maggie’s trying really hard to be the stable one, and Eddie’s the one going through a crisis — not that she really realizes it. But then it’s the difficulty of Maggie trying to seem really sane and really on top of everything, and everything just going absolutely horribly wrong at every turn. You really feel for her. And it was interesting playing it, because, as I said, it was a role reversal. It was a different thing from series one. It was interesting, those moments where the real Maggie would sort of peek out and have a go at Whitney. [Laughs.]

Whitney is such a good antagonist. What does Eddie see in her?

WEST When Eddie left, she hadn’t processed a lot of her own pain and a lot of grief and anger. She went to L.A., I think, with this idea of just running away from everything. And then she meets Whitney, who shows her the light, so to speak. She is this hippie, spiritual guru-TikTok influencer. But Eddie buys into her charm [and] a world which Eddie has never really seen before. And Eddie’s really vulnerable. Someone like that preys on the vulnerable, and Eddie really wants saving, so she’s found someone who can heal her without her having to do any of the work herself and confront anything that’s happening back at home. What Whitney offers her is this new life where she can be whoever she chooses to be. But then it all comes crashing down when Whitney is exposed to her old life, and Eddie can’t really keep everything up and manage both relationships with Maggie and with Whitney.

Nicola, what does Maggie hate so much about Whitney? Such a joy to watch.

COUGHLAN Before I answer, I have to say we really love Hannah. She was such a gorgeous addition, and she’s such a fantastic actor. It was really funny because I’d been working with her for maybe two weeks, and started talking about This Is Going to Hurt. And I didn’t really even realize it was her in it, because she’s really transformative and just has the most gorgeous energy. She’s so talented. But I think it’s really difficult for Maggie, because you kind of realize how codependent Maggie and Eddie were as friends. [There’s] the realization that Maggie doesn’t really like anyone aside from Eddie, not truly. So to have someone come in and take your person away, it’s very painful. But then also, like I said, a lot of her true character feels quite repressed this series, because she’s really trying to bite her tongue and be chill and go with it. But it causes her a great deal of frustration. It’s a boiling pot, and the lid is going to come off at one point or another.

Talk to me about playing a character with bipolar disorder, and the messy candidness of it.

COUGHLAN Yeah, Lydia and I talk about this often. I mean, it’s great how much conversations around mental health have opened up in the last 10 years, but that kind of only applies to depression and anxiety. Those have become societally acceptable, whereas people have a real misunderstanding of bipolar disorder or just have no understanding of it whatsoever. It’s an incredibly tricky disorder. It’s incredibly tricky to live with, incredibly difficult to medicate. And also, I think this show delves into how difficult it is sometimes to be the friend of someone with bipolar disorder because it’s not Maggie’s fault that she let Eddie down in the first series. But you see that it’s all connected to her mental health and the complications of that and the limits of a friendship, when you can go, “Actually, you weren’t there for me.” But I think it’s great that it deals with it through the lens of comedy, because then it doesn’t feel like we’re trying to hammer home a lesson and how you should be. It’s just going, “Well, here it is, and look how tricky it can be.”

It’s that intersection of all of the above plus female friendships, being in your 30s and not knowing what you want out of life. And dealing with family dynamics as well. It was so satisfying seeing Maggie have it out with her dad.

COUGHLAN I really love that episode. I loved shooting with Robert Lindsay as well. Because no one exists in a bubble. I always think seeing people’s family dynamics is such an opening up as to who they really are. And you see so much of why Maggie is the way she is. When you meet her dad, you realize how similar they are, even the bits that she maybe doesn’t realize are so similar.

Have either of you had conversations with Camilla about what she hopes people take away from this season?

WEST There’s a lot this season. I love the theme of opening up. It comes to a head in the final episode. The season is building up to this one point, and they finally have an honest conversation with each other that they have been avoiding for so long… There are suppressed emotions that Eddie hasn’t ever explained to Maggie and vice versa. Just having this honest conversation between friends slash lovers, because it really is a loving relationship. It’s platonic, [but] just seeing what that can do and the power of opening up and the power of honest conversations. I’m willing the whole season just for them to talk and sit down and say what they’re thinking. So much of season two is just suppressed emotions and suppressed conversations and friendships, but then it comes out in little bits. In episode one, Eddie is trying so hard not to connect with Maggie, but there’s just these moments where they slip into their old dynamic, and it’s so beautiful. It’s just so real for them.

It’s a great example of how a friendship breakup can be just as gut-wrenching as a romantic one. Maybe we can all draw on personal experience in that regard.

COUGHLAN Definitely. I think that’s another big theme — the difficulties of trying to grow as a person in your 30s, and how that can be really difficult in friendships. Because someone will go, “Well, I’ve fucking known you forever.” I think [Eddie and Maggie] are both trying to grow in quite extreme ways that are away from who they truly are. They’ve maybe gone too far. But also, [it’s about] the difficulty in not letting each other do that, and how important it is to do that. And realistically, long-term friendships, you have to accept that change and growth. But it’s not easy. It’s not easy at all.

How has it been balancing the lightness and darkness of Big Mood? Your comedic timing is so great. Do you enjoy it, or have to get in the zone for it?

COUGHLAN It’s in the script, isn’t it?

WEST Yeah, I find it’s in the script. Camilla writes so naturally and so conversationally that even the jokes are… That’s their way of speaking to each other. It’s just their references, the pop culture references and everything. The comedy slides off that really well. Additionally, we are battling with such heavy topics, and doing it in a funny way does make it more palatable. So I personally go into work without feeling [heavy]. If it was a drama, I’d feel a lot more heavy, and I’d carry it a lot more with me. But it’s quite easy to slip in and out of it, because you’re talking about a really serious topic, but you’re in the middle of a sauna. It’s ridiculous, which really helps. Because it is really sad. It’s really emotional. When you think of what Maggie went through in season one, dealing with lithium poisoning… What was interesting for me, watching it, was seeing the effects of lithium poisoning, because I didn’t film those scenes with Nic. I saw it as a viewer. I was like, “Woah. It’s so hard.” It’s so nuanced, and hard to even diagnose. So that felt really heavy, but then mixed with real silliness makes it more bearable.

It was a real education. Was it the same for you Nicola?

COUGHLAN Definitely. I mean, I have known a couple of people in the past with bipolar disorder, and it’s an incredibly misunderstood thing. But the feedback we’ve gotten has been amazing. People going, “My friend’s mum is a psychologist, and she said it’s the most real depiction [she’s] ever seen of bipolar on television.” And that’s really amazing. Because we never, ever set out to make a show that was like, “You’ve got to learn what this is like. We’re really trying to teach you a lesson here.” All you want [for] anything you ever make… You just hope it makes people feel something, whether that’s to laugh or cry or connect with it or anything. The show has done that.

What might be a misconception about your characters? Or was there anything about them that you wanted to play up more this season?

COUGHLAN I certainly found it a challenge, because it felt like Maggie was trying to not be Maggie. So it was weird, some of the scenes. That’s the thing I love about playing her. In season one, she was so straight up and honest. And this time, she’s trying to be a better version of herself. She’s really holding it in. Eventually, the real Maggie, it’s got to come out at some point. But that was a really interesting challenge. Also, her trying not to be herself, she’s throwing out all the good parts of herself, as well as the difficult parts. Human beings, we’ve got it all going on. You’ve got to accept all of it.

WEST I always thought [Eddie and Maggie] were really cool, but it’s weird because in this season we have a number of flashbacks. And doing the flashbacks validated how I always felt about the characters. They have their style. Seeing how it transformed from 2011 to present day was really fun and really validating. It was really fun to be able to play with hair and makeup and costume looks, and see where they came from, how they met, what kind of friends they have, what kind of events they used to do. It gives them a little bit of history you can peek into.

What do you think the other one has in common with their character?

COUGHLAN I think Lyds is cooler than she thinks she is, because I think she really knows who she is and doesn’t have to try.

WEST That’s crazy, your perception. Because I love that you think that, but I think I try so hard.

COUGHLAN It doesn’t come across at all. You seem so sure in who you are.

WEST Maybe I am now, but…

COUGHLAN When you first meet Eddie, I’m like, “Yeah, you’re so sure of who you are and what you want.” And not in the same way that she is, but in terms of the life that you’ve chosen and want to live, you’re really ten toes down, and I really love that about you. Even though Eddie’s life is different.

WEST I think you are that too.

COUGHLAN Aw, thanks.

I love the British pop culture references in this show. There’s turkey teeth, a mention of Jamie Laing’s podcast, the London sauna hype. Do you guys have a favorite?

COUGHLAN Oh gosh, the sauna one does make me laugh just because of how Eamon Farren said it. And we were really badly giggling that day on set. We just really, really struggled to get through the take. So I think that one because of that reason.

WEST There’s a funny line that really stands out for me, which is easily missed. It’s in episode one. It’s the maid of honor, Marina [Bye]’s character, Flopsy, asking if you can cut all the Nazis out of the pictures. And you say, “Yeah, that one took a long time.”

COUGHLAN [Laughs.] Oh yeah, that’s good.

WEST It’s really, really funny.

And I wanted to ask about filming with Rupert Everett…

COUGHLAN [Shakes head.] It was a dream. Lydia had worked with Rupert before. You can do the lead into it, because it’s very funny.

WEST I worked with Rupert a few years ago. He messaged me saying, “Darling, are you in a Bad Mood?” I was like, “Oh no, I’m actually okay.” But he’s like, “The show. Bad Mood.” I was like, “Oh, no, Big Mood! Yeah, Nicola and I!” And he was like, “Okay, I’m gonna do it.” He’s just hilarious and he’s down for…

COUGHLAN Down to play around! He came in and just had so many great ideas, and his physical comedy is so brilliant. It’s such a good trait when someone’s not afraid to take the complete piss out of themselves. And he just really went for that. I adored working with him. I really, really loved it.

Do either of you have a dream celebrity cameo for Big Mood?

COUGHLAN I think because Camilla and I both just met her at SNL UK, Tina Fey. 30 Rock is both of our favorite shows. We got to talk to her about it afterwards, which was beyond a dream, [with] Robert Carlock, one of the co-creators. It was heaven.

WEST Camilla would be a dream cameo, and she was actually in season one.

Which scene?

WEST She was in the skinny scarf craft fair.

COUGHLAN Eddie’s mum’s scarfs.

WEST She was Disgruntled Scarf Buyer. She’s in it for five seconds and she’s amazing. [Laughs.]

COUGHLAN Because she trained as an actor! That’s how Camilla and I met. We went to drama school together. She’s a very good actor, but she doesn’t want to do it. [Laughs.]

She needs to write herself into season three somehow. Do you know if she has plans for another season? Would it be a no-brainer for you two?

COUGHLAN I mean, no clue. You never really know with things like this. But also, one of the nicest things about the show is that we’ve all become genuine friends afterwards. And we kept saying recently [that] it’d be so nice to hang out and not be at work. We all need to have an occasion where it’s not work-related! It’s a really great group of people.