Let’s freely admit it – we all watched a lot of television during lockdown.
It was a time for old favourites and new releases, and one of the shows that without a doubt drew people in was the meticulously researched and award-winning historical drama The Crown.
The Crown has attracted consistently high numbers of watchers since its release in 2016, with an article in 2020 stating that 73 million Netflix accounts had watched the show since its first episode. The later seasons of the show have attracted comment, controversy, and commendation for its portrayal of events, particularly when the show focuses on the more divisive elements in the Royal Family’s timeline – notably, Charles’ marriage to Diana.
The Crown’s casting has always been a topic of conversation, and the question of who would play Diana was hotly contested for a while before they found the perfect star in unknown actor Emma Corrin.
Emma Corrin was born on December 13th 1995 in Royal Tunbridge Wells, and grew up in Sevenoaks. Their father is a businessman, their mother a speech therapist, and they credit their mother with helping them capture Diana’s distinctive accent. Corrin came out as non-binary on their Instagram profile in 2021 after changing their pronouns to “she/they”.
Corrin had early roles in school plays, most notably Toad in a primary school production of The Wind in the Willows; they were also active in the drama department of their boarding school, Woldingham School in Surrey. They had a clear passion for acting, and expressed a desire to drop out of school and find an agent, but their parents encouraged them to remain in full-time education and earn a degree. Corrin tried twice to get into RADA but was rejected both times, so ended up going to Cambridge where they studied education but still kept active in the drama scene, starring in many plays during their three years there.
When it came to auditioning for The Crown, Emma Corrin had a few acting credits to their name, but it was their role as Diana that shot them into the spotlight. The nature of the show means that different actors are cast for the characters to show the passage of time, so Corrin was only on the show for one season, but their performance gained them a Golden Globe win and an Emmy nomination. Future roles include parts in My Policeman and Lady Chatterley’s Lover.