To most people, Emma Corrin burst on the scene with their highly buzzed about role in Season 4 of The Crown, where they brought a young Princess Diana to the show with such aplomb that the performance netted them a Golden Globe win (and gave fans a look at their adorable cat), as well as an Emmy nomination. It was just a few weeks after the Golden Globes, in fact, that Corrin became known for something else, by quietly identifying as queer in a social media post. That led to them revealing that they are non-binary in July of 2021. Now Corrin has explained why they feel more “seen” when using they/them pronouns.
Since Corrin’s impressive turn as a Diana who goes from a young woman learning her way with the royals to one in a situation that’s becoming increasingly toxic for her, the actor hasn’t slowed down much, with two films set for the 2022 movie releases. Just one upcoming project is the (also buzzed about) film, My Policeman, with Harry Styles (who did talk about revealing his “bum bum” in the movie), but Corrin is also still working their way through their identity and all that it means for their life. In a recent chat with Vogue, Corrin opened up about their pronouns, saying:
I feel much more seen when I’m referred to as ‘they,’ but my closest friends, they will call me ‘she,’ and I don’t mind, because I know they know me.
While it’s important to note that Corrin’s experience of identifying as non-binary certainly won’t match that of everyone who also identifies the same way, it’s good that they are comfortable enough with their dearest friends to feel that those people aren’t trying to be hurtful if they use “she” instead of “they” when referring to the star. As Corrin noted, because their good friends know them, even if they do use “she,” Corrin understands that they know who Corrin is at their core, so in those cases, the exact use of pronouns matters just a bit less.
We are living in what probably feels like a slightly revolutionary time for a lot of people in the LGBTQ+ community. Even though it can definitely still be difficult and dangerous to live as your authentic self, it’s also become way more acceptable to do so, and in a number of different ways, than it has been even in the recent past. Like Corrin said in their interview, all of us want to be seen and understood by those around us for who we truly are. And, Corrin also spoke about how they are likely to see their gender going forward, adding:
In my mind, gender just isn’t something that feels fixed and I don’t know if it ever will be; there might always be some fluidity there for me.
Emma Corrin is learning how to live the life they need to, and in the way that feels right for them. And, honestly, that’s something that all of us have to do, regardless of how we identify.
