The ensemble of the hit teen sitcom Derry Girls, which aired on Channel 4 from 2018 to 2022, has seen its stars flourish in diverse projects across television and film. From Nicola Coughlan's global fame in Bridgerton to Dylan Llewellyn's role in Beyond Paradise, each cast member has carved out a notable post-Derry Girls career.
Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Erin Quinn)
Saoirse-Monica Jackson, now 32, has expanded her filmography with roles in the DC superhero movie The Flash (2023), The Doll Factory (2023), The Decameron (2024), The City Is Ours (2025), and the Netflix series How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (2026). She married Scottish DJ Hector Barbour (Denis Sulta) in August 2025 after getting engaged in 2023.
Louisa Harland (Orla McCool)
Louisa Harland, 33, starred in the Disney+ series Renegade Nell (2024), Big Boys (2023), and the films Joy (2024), Hamnet (2025), The Walsh Sisters (2025), and A Woman's Work (2026). She began her career in 2011 with a recurring role on Love/Hate.
Nicola Coughlan (Clare Devlin)
Nicola Coughlan, 39, achieved worldwide recognition as Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, earning a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. She appeared as Diplomat Barbie in the 2023 blockbuster Barbie, starred in Channel 4's Big Mood (2024–present), Doctor Who (2024), The Magic Faraway Tree (2026), and GOAT (2026). She has been in a relationship with British actor Jake Dunn since 2024.
Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (Michelle Mallon)
Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, 39, played Rose Gill in Channel 4's Screw (2022–2023) and released the documentary The Real Derry: Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (2022). Her film credits include Unwelcome (2023), Redeeming Love (2022), Faithless (2025), Leonard and Hungry Paul (2025), and The Feud (2025).
Dylan Llewellyn (James Maguire)
Dylan Llewellyn, 33, starred as Jack in Channel 4's Big Boys (2022–2025) and has played PC Kelby Hartford in BBC One's Beyond Paradise since 2023. He told Rolling Stone UK in 2025: 'I would love to explore more, and do more dramas or thrillers. I'd love to get into horror.'
Supporting Cast Updates
Leah O'Rourke (Jenny Joyce) has appeared in The Knife (2025) and The Spin (2026). Siobhán McSweeney (Sister Michael) won a BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2023 and has hosted The Traitors Ireland (2025) and The Great Pottery Throw Down (2021–present). Kathy Kiera Clarke (Aunt Sarah) featured in Dead Man's Money (2024) and The Contraception Fair (2025). Tommy Tiernan (Gerry Quinn) continues his stand-up career and hosts The Tommy Tiernan Show on RTE.
Real-Life Friendships
The main cast remain close friends. Nicola Coughlan told JOE in 2019: 'We all lived in the same apartment block, so there was a lot of wine drinking in each other's flats.' Dylan Llewellyn told The Guardian in 2024 that the show 'saved' his life and that the cast are 'like my sisters.'
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are the Derry Girls cast all Irish? Most are Irish or Northern Irish except Dylan Llewellyn, who is English.
- Was Derry Girls based on a true story? Yes, partially inspired by writer Lisa McGee's upbringing in 1990s Derry.
- How old were the actresses during filming? Nicola Coughlan was 30 in season 1 (2017) and 34 in season 3 (2021). Saoirse-Monica Jackson was 23 in season 1 and 27 in season 3.
