Emma Corrin on backlash for non-binary identity: ‘People always want answers’

Actor Emma Corrin thinks they have faced backlash for identifying as non-binary as “people always want answers”.

The 30-year-old catapulted to global fame in 2020 for their portrayal of Lady Diana Spencer in historical drama The Crown, a role which landed them prizes at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.

After starring in the hit Netflix series, Corrin took to social media in 2021 and came out as non-binary, meaning they do not resonate with the male or female gender.

Corrin has since been outspoken about their identity, including the severe online abuse they faced after coming out, previously calling this a “reality check” and describing it as worse than they anticipated.

Addressing this during an interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, the star said: “I think people always want answers because they feel there is security in certainty.

“So they want to put you in a box. But I think we all do that to some extent.”

The actor, also known for their role in Deadpool & Wolverine, also explained that they have become “more guarded as I’ve got older” and “more introverted”, choosing to reveal less to the public.

When asked about discussing their private life, Corrin said: “If you talk about it, people have a right to ask questions.”

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The star also explained that they feel more certain about their identity since turning 30 last December, and said: “I think you’re figuring out who you are in your twenties.

“You’re charging through and making mistakes, but you’re up for the chaos and the ride of it.

“Now I’ve landed in my thirties, I feel much more certain about who I want to be, who I am.

“Well, not that it’s done… I think it’s lovely to be always questioning.”

The actor stars as Elizabeth Bennet alongside Jack Lowden as Mr Darcy in an upcoming TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic Pride And Prejudice, which will be released later this year.

Corrin said their character is misunderstood, and reflected on the role of femininity in society during the Regency period in the early 1800s – which is when the bestselling novel is set.

Corrin said they think it is ‘lovely’ to always be questioning aspects of yourself (Harper’s Bazaar UK/Szilveszter Mako)

“If you don’t marry, you lose everything. It’s a question of life or death,” they said.

“I think Mrs Bennet is the real heroine of the series, because she fights against the restrictions of the time that she is living in.

“That’s incredibly noble and brave.”

On Austen’s writing, the actor added: “I hear so much politics in what she writes… But it’s smoke and mirrors.

“Sometimes you have to be quiet to be the loudest.”

The full interview can be read in the November issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK on sale from October 8.