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Nicola Coughlan’s ‘I Am Helen’ Trailer Shows Dark Side Of Modern Relationships As Toxic Masculinity Takes Its Toll
Nicola Coughlan’s upcoming Channel 4 drama *I Am Helen* will explore toxic masculinity and its effects on modern relationships. Told from a woman’s perspective, the two-part story examines pressures placed on women and the harm that toxic behaviour can cause.
Coughlan developed the series with director Dominic Savage and stars alongside Joe Cole, who plays Steve. The trailer shows Steve being told, “It’s tough for blokes. You’re made to be the bad guy.” The drama is part of Savage’s *I Am…* anthology, which has also featured Letitia Wright, Samantha Morton and Gemma Chan; an earlier instalment starring Kate Winslet won her a BAFTA.
In short
- Nicola Coughlan’s new two-part drama examines toxic masculinity.
- Joe Cole plays Steve, a man facing expectations about masculinity.
- The Channel 4 series is part of Dominic Savage’s *I Am…* anthology.
Explained simply
Nicola Coughlan is an Irish actor known for roles in television dramas and comedies. In I Am Helen, she plays a woman whose relationship with Steve, played by Joe Cole, is shaped by expectations about how men and women should behave.
The drama is part of director Dominic Savage’s I Am… anthology, in which each instalment tells a separate story centred on a woman. Earlier episodes have starred actors including Letitia Wright, Samantha Morton and Gemma Chan, and one featuring Kate Winslet won a BAFTA.
The story looks at how controlling or harmful behaviour can affect people in relationships, and how ideas about masculinity may influence that behaviour. It is told from Helen’s perspective, rather than as a general account of all relationships.