5 things to know about The Crown’s Princess Diana, Emma Corrin
She was cast in the Batman prequel series Pennyworth and is now playing Princes Diana in the Netflix hit series, The Crown – what else do you know about Emma Corrin?
She’s only 23, and soon to be a household name. The third season of The Crown is finally premiering today (November 17) but we’re already looking forward to the fourth – that will introduce the beloved Lady Diana Spencer to the series, played by new breakout star, Emma Corrin.
Here are some things you might not know about the young actress.
1. She’s the new face of Princess Diana
View this post on Instagramoverjoyed, over the moon and incredibly honoured ️ what a project to join @thecrownnetflix
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The 23-year-old has been cast as Lady Diana Spencer, later known as Princess Diana, in the forthcoming fourth season of the Netflix show The Crown. This season will cover the late 70s and early 80s, featuring figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth. Emma will be acting alongside Hollywood veterans such as Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter and is still getting used to the opportunity. She says of being offered the role “felt like I had just been proposed to”.
2. It’s her first major screen credit
View this post on InstagramEsme. She’s really low key, super chill, no drama. @pennyworthonepix ... coming soon
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Corrin’s previous screen credits are as Esther Carter in a single episode of ITV's Grantchester, as well as a pageant contestant in Misbehaviour, a comedy that will be released in 2020. She also landed a role as Esmé Whitaker, the girlfriend of Alfred Pennyworth, in the Batman prequel series Pennyworth. But the role of Diana, which she landed in April 2019, is her biggest break yet.
3. She developed a passion for acting in school
View this post on Instagramthank you @cecilieharris for stepping behind the lens for me you seriously rock
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Emma attended the Woldingham School in Surrey, England, where she was praised for her role in a drama production. During her gap year before university, she took a course on Shakespeare at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She then attended university at St John’s College in Cambridge, where she was involved in theatre, performing in a whooping 19 plays in three years. It’s only been a year since she graduated, but she’s already taking big steps into the world of acting.
4. She was working in retail only a little over a year ago
View this post on Instagram@Manchester you multi coloured sun fish!! (@katharinemc grafted hard for this one )
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In summer 2018, Emma had a decidedly unglamorous job – packing underwear into boxes at a retail start-up. She picked up a call from her agent, telling her that she had landed the audition for Esmé in Pennyworth, but she had only three hours to get to the tryout – fully outfitted as a 1960s dancer, of course. So Emma left her job, hurriedly bought some vintage-looking clothes, and ran to a department store to get a makeover. The rush and stress was worth it, as she landed the role, and since then she’s been on a steady path to stardom.
5. She doesn’t think she looks like Diana
View this post on Instagramwhat a week! Thanks for the Thanks also to Spencer’s octopus for photobombing
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Emma has stated that she doesn’t really see the resemblance between her and Diana, but despite her feelings, she cuts an impressively close resemblance in filming shots, where she wears a Diana-style wig and replicated clothing. Though she was chosen for more than her looks – the original ad for the role read: “We need a mesmerising new young star with extraordinary range. She has to play charming comedy, flirt and social exhibitionist on the world stage, desperate and lonely self-harmer at her lowest ebb and the kind of psychological intensity of Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby”. All these requirements seem intimidating but she charmed the directors immediately with her range and complexity.
Keep your eyes on this star – Emma has had an abrupt rise in the acting world, and if the progression of her career so far is anything to go by, she’s fated for many more roles to come.