Erin Doherty cements her reputation as one of the UK’s most versatile actors in A Thousand Blows, the gripping new Disney+ period drama that plunges viewers into the gritty underground world of illegal boxing in 1880s London.
Known for her steely portrayal of Princess Anne in The Crown, Doherty undergoes a complete transformation to play Mary Carr, the fearless leader of the Forty Elephants—a real-life all-female gang of thieves who once ruled London’s streets.
Created by Peaky Blinders mastermind Steven Knight, A Thousand Blows is packed with razor-sharp dialogue and raw intensity. The six-part series, which landed on Disney+ February 21, follows Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) as he arrives in London from Jamaica, drawn into the brutal world of Sugar Goodman’s (Stephen Graham) bare-knuckle boxing and the criminal underworld that thrives around it.
But it’s Doherty’s magnetic performance that truly anchors the series. As Mary, she’s tough, cunning, and utterly unphased—qualities that made the Forty Elephants so infamous in Victorian London.
For Doherty, stepping into the role of Mary wasn’t just about the script—it was about embodying the fierce camaraderie of the gang. Speaking about the unique off-screen bonding with her co-stars, she tells The Standard: “We had a full-fledged initiation.”
“Like, the week before we started shooting, they were like, ‘Right, you come in. Everyone needs to choose a piece of music we're gonna play. We're just gonna, like, get all up in each other's grills,’” she recalls with a smile. “There were like foam, like poles. There was hitting, it was all happening.
Before adding with a laugh: “And, yeah, no, it was an experience that now I look back on fondly, but at the time, I was like, 'What is going on? What is this?' But yeah, it was great. It made it happen. You gotta roll with the punches. And it made us all fall in love.”
The chaotic, playful initiation wasn’t just team-building—it cemented the fierce loyalty needed to bring the Forty Elephants to life on screen.
But if the 32-year-old could recruit anyone into the Forty Elephants modern day? Her answer is instant. “Oh, who would I want – Adele. She'd be wicked, right? Come on now, I just feel like she bosses, and also she'd be there for the laughs, like you'd be literally wetting your pants every day. What's not to love?”
But beyond the camaraderie and fictional crime, Doherty also learned an unexpected skill while filming—pickpocketing. As part of her prep, she trained in the art of stealthy theft, a skill that’s made her hyper-aware on the streets of London.
“That's actually the only thing I've taken away is that it's immensely terrifying when you're like, holy s**t,” she tells us. “Like anytime someone brushes up against me, I'm like, 'You get away from me.' You've got their number.
“Honestly, all it takes is like the slightest little thing, because ultimately, to be successful at it, you've just got to be savvy and have the guts to stick around in someone's pocket.
“And London at the minute, it's rife.”
A Thousand Blows is available to stream now on Disney +
