'The Crown' actress Emma Corrin says it's a 'parallel experience' facing media attention for her portrayal of Princess Diana
Advertisement
Darcy Schild
Nov 23, 2020, 01:21 IST
Emma Corrin in "The Crown"; Princess Diana in 1991 in London.Des Willie/Netflix; Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images
Season four of "The Crown" follows the British royal family in the 1970s through the early '90s, and stars actress Emma Corrin, 24, as Princess Diana.
Corrin told journalist Tamron Hall that the experience of being in the spotlight for her portrayal of Princess Diana is "sort of a parallel experience" to the paparazzi attention Ladi Di faced.
Corrin also addressed criticism of "The Crown" by saying that the show is rooted in history but fictionalized.
"All of the cast, we want to constantly remind people that we approach these people that we play as characters," Corrin said.
Advertisement
Season four of "The Crown" follows the British royal family in the late 1970s to early '90s, and scratches the surface of the marriage between Princess Diana, played by Emma Corrin, and Prince Charles, played by Josh O'Connor.
Corrin, 24, has been thrust into the spotlight for her portrayal of Princess Diana in the latest season of the Netflix series that has followed the rise of Queen Elizabeth II and the evolution of the royal family.
"Did you have any idea when you landed the role of Diana that it would come with this kind of attention?" Hall asked.
Advertisement
"I think I had kind of an idea that it would, but you can't ever know until it happens, I suppose," Corrin told Hall. "I remember one of the directors who was there when I got the part saying: 'Anything that happens between now and, well, I guess when it comes out ... if you end up in the paper or people start taking photographs of you or recognizing you, and you start feeling anxious about it or scared at all, just use it because that's what Diana would have been feeling.'"
Corrin added that while she was filming, it was something that was on my mind quite a lot because obviously, it is sort of a parallel experience."
Corrin also addressed critics of 'The Crown' who say it's not historically accurate
Like many shows in the historical fiction genre, "The Crown" takes creative liberty with scenes and elements of the series.
Other elements of "The Crown" have been disputed by experts. Hugo Vickers, a royal historian and author of "'The Crown' Dissected," told Insider's royals reporter Mikahila Friel that season four of the show falsely portrays Prince Charles and his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles (now Camilla, Duchess of Wales).
Advertisement
When asked by Hall if she understands critics of "The Crown," Corrin said that she and the rest of the show's cast want to remind people that the show is fictional.
"The series that we're in is fictionalized to a great extent. Obviously, it has its roots in reality, but Peter Morgan's scripts are works of fiction," Corrin told Hall. "At the same time, I understand why people would be upset because this is history, and even with Diana, it's still very much fresh, I suppose."
She added that the cast wants "to constantly remind people that we approach these people that we play as characters, which is why it's such a joyous job."
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.