HAVING BROKEN THROUGH AS PRINCESS DIANA IN THE CROWN, EMMA CORRIN SWIFTLY ESTABLISHED THEMSELF AS AN ACTOR WILLING TO TAKE ON ALL CHALLENGES, NEVER DOING THE SAME THING TWICE. WE SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT CHANGING THINGS UP AND GOING THE DISTANCE

WORDS SOPHIE BUTCHER

Emma Corrin, photographed exclusively for Empire at Alva East Studios, London, on 10 July 2023.

ZOE Mc CONNELL

EMMA CORRIN IS FEARLESS.

Playing one of the most recognisable figures in the world as their first major role? Check. Leading a stage version of a seminal, centuries-spanning story, with a gender-fluid protagonist light-years ahead of their time? No problem. Throwing themself into enormous productions led by radical filmmakers, set in universes they’ve never explored before? You got it.

Back in 2019, their casting (Corrin is non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns) as young Diana Spencer in The Crown shot them into household-name territory. A huge task to take on, they embodied the people’s princess, capturing her mannerisms, fragility and fierceness whilst always avoiding caricature. Since then, Corrin has been a standout in period dramas My Policeman and Lady Chatterley’s Lover, with intimate scenes in the latter seeing them pushing boundaries and embracing vulnerability. They subvert expectations in their roles as women challenging the societal norm, every performance a world away from the last.

Now, they’re turning their attention back to the present, playing hacker, author and true-crime-obsessed detective Darby Hart in The OA creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij’s new mystery drama series, FX’s A Murder At The End Of The World. Also starring Harris Dickinson and Clive Owen, the show sees a gang of disruptors in the fields of medicine, architecture and beyond invited to a retreat by a tech billionaire and his wife — but when one of them meets a sticky end, Darby sets out to uncover the truth. Even bigger things await after that, including an as-yet-unknown role in Robert Eggers’ take on classic horror Nosferatu, and an MCU turn alongside Ryan Reynolds’ third-wall-breaking anti-hero in Deadpool 3. Corrin has become reliably unpredictable.

With this whole new set of challenges ahead, Empire sits down with Corrin to dig into the details of their unconventional acting process, their ever-growing list of visionary collaborators, and their willingness to deal with discomfort.