'Pride & Prejudice' Was Daunting After Diana and Marvel

Emma Corrin has made a significant mark. The 30-year-old actor, who gained fame portraying Princess Diana in “The Crown,” is Variety‘s first nonbinary Power of Women cover star. However, accepting this recognition wasn’t straightforward for Corrin, as they were initially apprehensive. “It was a scary thing when [the cover offer] first came in,” they reveal.

In the expansive, dome-shaped penthouse at London’s Hotel Café Royal, Corrin and I sit cross-legged on the floor, avoiding the velvet couch behind us. “It’s a label thing, isn’t it?” they say. “Which doesn’t mean anything but also it does, and it’s confusing.”

Zoe McConnell for Variety

After completing their cover shoot in a gray work skirt and matching shirt from Miu Miu, a brand they have long represented, Corrin changes into a simple black sweater and jeans for our interview. Away from the cameras, they exhale in relief, feeling more at ease.

“I’m incredibly honored to be the first nonbinary person, and now more than ever it is so important for people — no matter how they identify — to be able to celebrate each other,” they express. “It doesn’t have to be women celebrating the power of women — it can be women, queer, nonbinary people celebrating the power of women. And I think that’s fucking awesome.”

As Corrin’s fame surged with “The Crown,” bringing in a large Instagram following and a partnership with Miu Miu, they were also navigating their personal identity. In April 2021, Corrin publicly identified as queer on Instagram, initially using “she/they” pronouns, and by summer 2022, they adopted “they/them” pronouns. Corrin speaks openly about their identity, aiming to empower others, though it’s a position they never anticipated and are still adapting to.

“It’s a balance of being super proud of the person I am and wanting to share that and advocate for that, which I always will, but also making sure that I have a private part of my identity,” they say, hugging their legs to their chest.

This need to sometimes retreat from the spotlight mirrors the character they portrayed — the late Princess Diana. Playing Diana in Season 4 of “The Crown” brought Corrin a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice Award. Now, they are set to star as Elizabeth Bennet in Netflix’s eagerly awaited “Pride & Prejudice” series, although Corrin remains tight-lipped about the role. “We’ll have to talk again when it’s out, and I’ll tell you everything,” they say with a soft smile.

Even six years after playing Diana, the late princess continues to linger in Corrin’s thoughts.

“I loved her. I loved playing her,” they say, bright blue eyes twinkling below a chic pixie-cut hairstyle. “I don’t think roles like that come along often. I’ve had parts since that I’ve been so fond of, but there was something about that, and about her, that just — it felt different and it feels different.”

Playing Diana was “so scary,” Corrin admits. However, “The Crown” director Ben Caron encouraged Corrin to channel that fear into the performance. When Corrin was offered the role, Caron dramatically knelt and asked, “Will you be our Diana?” He added, “From this moment, your life is going to change exactly how hers changed. So every single moment of this, store it away. Notice it.”

“It was kind of comforting,” Corrin reflects. “I felt like I wasn’t doing it alone; I felt like I was doing it with her.”

The timing of Season 4’s premiere during the peak of the COVID pandemic in 2020 provided an unexpected shield. “I was really protected by that,” they share. “I would have probably been on a circus of a press tour, when actually I was just in my living room on Zoom. Kind of tragic, kind of nice. It’s made me overwhelmed by press since then.”

Despite their rapid rise to fame, Corrin remains remarkably grounded. They divide their time between London, where they live with three friends, and the coastal town of Margate. When asked about the possibility of moving to L.A., they respond with a firm no. Five years ago, Corrin publicly came out by posting a casual Instagram photo in a Miu Miu wedding dress with the caption “ur fave queer bride.”

“It was a scary thing in retrospect, but I didn’t put much thought into sharing it,” they explain. “I was feeling so euphoric about having figured something out about myself that felt so big, and I wanted to celebrate it and share it with other people who might feel the same.”

While Corrin was warmly embraced by the queer community, the broader audience familiar with them as Diana in “The Crown” was less accepting. A quick look at Corrin’s Instagram comments reveals shocking levels of bigotry.

“So much of the world — even more so now than then, which is terrifying — is not ready and does not want to hear that,” they assert. “And I think that it was a rude awakening to the vileness of the world.”

The negativity reached such a level that Corrin deactivated their Instagram account for a year, only recently returning. “It’s actually kind of amazing how I’ve broken the habit,” they mention. “I don’t have anything in my brain that’s like, ‘I wonder what’s happening on Instagram?’”

So why return? “It was work,” Corrin responds. “I was kind of given no choice in the world we live in today. But I was like, ‘You know what? It’s not a hill worth dying on. Make the best of it.’ It’s really nice knowing that like, I’m a nonbinary person on Instagram and even if it’s just helping one person to see that, that’s worth it.”

At the time of our conversation, they still haven’t reinstalled the app on their phone and haven’t posted anything yet. A few days after our talk, Corrin officially returned to Instagram with a photo dump from Milan, featuring a casual, slightly blurry selfie in the renowned Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Three more posts have since followed, but comments are disabled on all of them.

“I’m just always anxious because I worry too much about what people think,” Corrin says, laughing despite the gravity of the topic. “And I think that’s what I’m trying to do less of.”

Corrin’s passion for acting began in theater. Growing up in Royal Tunbridge Wells, a serene medieval town around 30 miles southeast of London, their parents always supported their artistic aspirations, even though Corrin and their two brothers had limited TV access.

“I used to save up and go to London and watch [director] Michael Grandage shows and anything I could see, really,” says Corrin, who has since appeared in two of Grandage’s works: the 2022 film “The Policeman” and the 2023 West End production of Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando.” “I’ve always felt a bit self-conscious about how I’m not an actor with a story like, you know, ‘I watched Al Pacino at 12 years old and then thought, “This is for me.”’ I don’t really have a film that made me want to act. It was mainly theater.”

By the age of 15, Corrin was certain they wanted to pursue acting, though they were unsure of the path. Repeated rejections from drama schools didn’t deter them. “In fact, when I went into my Royal Academy of Dramatic Art audition, they asked me, ‘Do you have any alternative career options?’ In the room! Which was, looking back, so savage,” Corrin recalls.

After a brief period at the University of Bristol, Corrin was accepted into St. John’s College at the University of Cambridge, where they studied education and early childhood development and became active in the theater community. They eventually secured an agent after an acting showcase during their final year, leading to being cast in “The Crown” just a year later. Corrin acknowledges that this role “changed my life completely.”

However, once the excitement of Season 4 died down and Elizabeth Debicki assumed the role of Diana, Corrin found themselves at a crossroads. “Especially in the kind of projects that came in directly after that. People love to pigeonhole,” they say. “And that’s fine. But it then takes you to sort of step back and think, ‘What do I want to do? Who am I separate from this project that is now such an ingrained part of me?’”

Following “The Crown,” Corrin appeared in two more period dramas: “The Policeman” and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s adaptation of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” with Jack O’Connell, before taking a surprising turn as a Marvel villain. In 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Corrin portrayed Cassandra Nova, the bald-headed evil twin sister of Professor X, showcasing a performance that was both restrained and maniacal.

Transitioning from small-budget period pieces to one of the most expensive films ever made was overwhelming, Corrin notes. “I felt like I was at some kind of theme park all the time because things were just so overwhelming and I was like, ‘This cannot be real. I must be walking around with a visitor’s pass. Like, I can’t belong here.’”

Yet, Reynolds, Jackman, and director Shawn Levy created an environment that felt intimate and manageable. They made an effort to know Corrin before filming commenced, often inviting them to hang out whenever they were in the same city.

“They did so much to make me feel like I was stepping into something that wasn’t daunting at all but was just like a playground. And it really felt like that,” they add. “Especially with Cassandra, because I was in such a position of power as a character.”

Spoiler alert: Cassandra meets her end in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but as is common in the Marvel universe, this may not be the conclusion for the character. Would Corrin consider revisiting the role? “I absolutely would, 100%,” they enthuse. “I think her story’s not over. I would like to see a Professor X and Cassandra Nova bonding film — a sibling comedy like ‘Step Brothers.’ Make it happen! Internet, do your thing!”

Ironically, after stepping away from period dramas, Corrin’s next venture is set to be one.

With the last major adaptation of Jane Austen’s iconic novel being the 2005 film featuring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, the upcoming series — directed by “Heartstopper” helmer Euros Lyn — aims to introduce the classic love story to a new generation. Playing Lizzy Bennet is a role Corrin cherishes, given their status as a self-proclaimed “massive Austen fan.”

“I’m very daunted about it because of people’s completely natural love to compare things, which I also do, terribly,” they say. “But I’m also incredibly excited. I had the best time. It was one of my favorite jobs that I’ve done.”

A key factor in Corrin’s enjoyment was the number of women involved in the production. “We had so many women in our crew, which was very rare. And obviously, there were so many women in that cast,” they note. “You just really feel the difference, energy-wise — you feel how special it is, but also the rarity means that there’s so much work to be done.”

In addition to “Pride & Prejudice,” Corrin’s other forthcoming project is an untitled A24 horror film featuring Hunter Schafer and Sophie Wilde, recently completed in Budapest. This stage of Corrin’s career is about exploration and challenging norms.

“The goal is to find the next thing that feels right in my gut, that I haven’t done before,” they state. “I would love to do something like ‘Succession’ or ‘The Pitt’ — that kind of fast-paced, high-stakes dialogue. You don’t have time to be like, ‘Ooh, I might gaze over there for a scene.’ I don’t want that anymore. I don’t want longing glances — no more longing glances!”

But first, they’re heading to Margate for some well-deserved rest. “I’m going to go down to the sea, see my dog and take a beat,” they say, enthusiastically showing photos of a shaggy black dog. “His name is Spencer.” Is that a nod to Diana? “Yes,” they admit, accepting the ongoing connection to the role. “Mortifying!”

Charity Spotlight: War Child

Emma Corrin became acquainted with the global charity War Child in 2020 through their “Crown” co-star Vanessa Kirby and director-producer Ben Caron. Established in 1993, the organization supports children in war zones, currently focusing on areas like Gaza, Ukraine, Lebanon, and Sudan. With Corrin’s background in education and early childhood development, it’s a cause that deeply resonates with them. “These are generations of children that are not going to have a chance at a future where they can rebuild in their communities, even if the conflict stops where they’re living,” Corrin explains.

Currently, one in five children worldwide — around 520 million — live amidst conflict, the highest number recorded.

War Child collaborates with local partners, providing resources, conducting research, and implementing methods to help children cope with trauma and pursue education.

“It’s not like people are coming from different countries to help — these are people from the same cultures who will be able to speak the language of the children and really connect with them,” Corrin emphasizes.

War Child’s impact is evident. In 2024, the organization assisted over 2 million children globally. Recent funding included a compilation album produced by War Child Records. “Help(2)” — featuring artists like Arctic Monkeys, Olivia Rodrigo, and Cameron Winter — generated over $1.6 million for the charity.

“It’s just such a fundamental thing that we should try and protect children at all costs,” Corrin asserts. “There are so many people that are innocent bystanders to these terrible conflicts all over the world, but children bear the brunt of it.”