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Emma Corrin has revealed that their hopes of undergoing a “huge transformation” to star in Marvel superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine were shot down by producers who told her: “That’s absolutely not required of you.”
The 28-year-old actor, who goes by they/them pronouns and is known for their role as Princess Diana on The Crown, will star as the villainous Cassandra Nova in the upcoming sequel.
During a video interview with British GQ, Corrin was asked by a fan whether they had to undergo physical training for the film.
“This is funny because I did ask if I could have a personal trainer and they said no,” Corrin replied. “They said I don’t have to undergo any physical training. I was so ready to undergo a huge transformation but they were like, ‘That’s absolutely not required of you. Please stand down.’ I tried.”
Marvel comic book fans will know Cassandra Nova as the evil twin sister of Charles Xavier, the X-Men leader often played by Patrick Stewart in the film adaptations.
Elsewhere in the interview, Corrin was asked what drew them to the part that stands in “major contrast” to their normal roles.
“Money,” they replied. “No, I’m joking. I think probably because it is a major contrast to my normal roles, and I always wanted to play a villain. And then, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Ryan improvs the entire time. And it was kind of like a masterclass in that kind of comedy and that kind of genre of film, which I hadn’t really done before. What’s not to love?”
Earlier this week, Corrin reflected on attending an all-girls school while growing up not conforming to one gender. They recalled going to a school dance and being mocked for their appearance.
“I went to the dance and someone thought I was a boy and asked me to dance, and it became a big joke in my class,” said Corrin, revealing that this was the turning point that caused them to start conforming to societal expectations surrounding femininity.
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“I grew out my hair and rolled up my skirt,” explained Corrin.
In the GQ interview, Corrin reflected on their experiences of coming out as non-binary in July 2021, stating: “You get knocked down a ton and then you come out and you’re verbal about your identity, and then people f***ing stamp that out; make f***ing stupid clickbait headlines that make you feel like s*** and use your identity against you as a weapon.”
The actor said that their younger self is “now actually being looked after” following a backlash to their coming out.
After publicly revealing their gender identity, Corrin played the gender-swapped lead in a West End production of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando in 2022, which The Independent‘s Jessie Thompson rated four stars out of five.
