Erin Doherty is a British actor best known for playing Princess Anne in The Crown, but her career goes far beyond one icy royal stare. From psychologically charged dramas like Chloe to gritty, character-led projects including Adolescence and A Thousand Blows, Doherty has quietly built one of the most compelling film and TV portfolios on British television right now.
A stage-trained actor with a taste for complex, slightly unhinged roles (complimentary), Erin Doherty has become a familiar face you suddenly realise you’ve been watching for years. Off-screen, she has spoken openly about being queer and navigating her sexuality in the public eye, making her a low-key but meaningful figure for LGBTQ+ audiences. As for who Erin Doherty is dating? She keeps her personal life relatively private – a rarity in an industry that loves to overshare – which only adds to the intrigue.
Whether you’re here because you’re Googling who is Erin Doherty, trying to place where you’ve seen her before, or wondering why she keeps choosing such interesting projects, here’s everything worth knowing about one of Britain’s most watchable queer actors.
Who is Erin Doherty?
Erin Doherty is a British actor born 16 July 1992 in Crawley, West Sussex. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which explains why she can do “cold and controlled” and “emotionally catastrophic” without breaking a sweat.
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If you know her face but can’t place her, it’s probably because she’s one of those actors who disappears into a role and re-emerges as “oh… that was her?” every time.
What is Erin Doherty famous for?
Most people clocked Erin via The Crown (Netflix), where she played Princess Anne in seasons 3–4, a performance that managed to be bone-dry, razor-smart, and magnetic. Like: you wouldn’t want to sit next to her at dinner, but you absolutely want to watch her ruin someone else’s.
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Then she kept swerving into darker, weirder, more interesting projects, the kind that turn your “casual watch” into “wait, why am I holding my breath?”
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What films & TV shows is Erin Doherty in? Biggest roles (the essentials)
The Crown (Princess Anne)
The role that put her on the map. Her Anne is clipped, funny, constantly unimpressed, and somehow still the most human person in a room full of royals.
Chloe (as Becky/Sasha)
If you like your TV glossy and unsettling, the kind where everyone has great skin and terrible boundaries, Chloe is peak. Erin’s performance is a masterclass in “you can’t look away.”
Adolescence (and the awards moment)
She also starred in Adolescence (2025), and, casually, the role is credited with a Primetime Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie. Not a small deal.
Firebrand
She appears in Firebrand (period drama, political rot, women surviving men with too much power — you know the vibe).
A Thousand Blows
She plays Mary Carr, a real-life leader of the Forty Elephants gang, in A Thousand Blows, which is exactly the kind of sentence that makes you go “okay, yes, I’m seated.”
Is Erin Doherty queer?
Yes. Erin Doherty is a lesbian, and she’s spoken publicly about wanting richer, less cliché queer roles on screen (aka: not another cardboard cut-out girlfriend plot with bad lighting and a tragic ending).
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Who is Erin Doherty dating?
She previously dated actor Sophie Melville. More recently, she’s been linked to Sinéad Donnelly (an NHS radiographer) and has talked about moving in together (with the exact level of self-aware “yes, we know it’s a lesbian cliché” humour you’d hope for).
What did Erin Doherty do before acting?
The backstory is unexpectedly sporty: Erin was a talented footballer, played midfield, captained Crawley Wasps, and was even scouted by Chelsea Women, before choosing acting. And in case you were wondering if she still has that energy, she took part in Soccer Aid for UNICEF in 2024.
And there you have it, everything you need to know about Erin Doherty,
Nonchalant x
Babs heads up Logistics and Product here at Nonchalant Magazine.
