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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Claire Armitstead

‘It’s relatable’ … The Crown’s Emma Corrin on playing gender-swapping, time-travelling Orlando

‘Empowering and cathartic’ … Corrin, left, as Orlando with Akuc Bol.
‘Empowering and cathartic’ … Corrin, left, as Orlando with Akuc Bol. Photograph: Marc Brenner/PA

Emma Corrin wasn’t yet born when Tilda Swinton took to the screen as Orlando in Sally Potter’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel, with a look that would create a whole new aesthetic for gender fluidity. So it’s no little deal for the 26-year-old actor that, even before they step out on to the stage in the role, comparisons are already being made.

A swoony Instagram ad doubles down on the similarity for those who know the film, showing a stream of historic pictures washing past an androgynous beauty shimmering in bleached lace and satin. But, although the palette is similar, the temperature is very different: whereas Swinton was cool and remote, Corrin radiates an invitation to play.

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