Erin Doherty – Full Biography with The Crown Role, Emmy and Golden Globe Wins

Erin Doherty is a British actress who gained international recognition for playing Princess Anne in the Netflix historical drama The Crown and later won both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her performance in the limited series Adolescence.

Born 16 July 1992 in Crawley, West Sussex, she is of Irish heritage and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School after a one-year course at the Guildford School of Acting. Doherty made her television debut in a 2016 episode of Call the Midwife and has since built a career that spans period drama, contemporary crime series, and theatre.

This article covers her most celebrated roles, major awards, reported personal details, and addresses common questions about her life and career.

Erin Doherty’s most famous roles

Quick overview

Key insights

• Doherty’s breakthrough came with The Crown, where she captured the mannerisms of Princess Anne across seasons 3 and 4.
• Her 2025 double win – Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe – for Adolescence cemented her status among the most awarded British actresses of the year.
• She made her first television appearance in Call the Midwife in 2016, playing Jessie Marsh.
• Despite frequent online searches, she is not related to Shannen Doherty; the surname similarity is coincidental.
• Doherty is openly lesbian and has been romantically linked to Sophie Melville and later Sinead Donnelly, with whom she reportedly lives.
• Her exact birth date (16 July 1992) is confirmed by Wikipedia, making her 33 as of 2025.
• She won the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year Award in 2015 while training.

Snapshot facts

Erin Doherty’s awards and nominations

Golden Globe and Emmy wins for Adolescence

Doherty played child psychologist Briony Ariston in the Netflix limited series Adolescence. The performance earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2025. According to her agency, Conway Van Gelder Grant, the Emmy win was for Adolescence. IMDb lists her total accolades as 7 wins and 13 nominations.

Erin Doherty’s personal life: partner and height

Partner and relationship

Doherty is lesbian and has been linked to actress Sophie Melville. More recently, she has been publicly connected to Sinead Donnelly. A report from Gomag indicates that Doherty moved in with Donnelly at the start of the previous year and discussed the relationship on a podcast, though she has not shared extensive details in formal interviews.

Height and other physical details

IMDb lists Doherty’s height as 5′ 5½″ (1.66 m). This figure has not been verified by an official source, such as an agency headshot or biographical note. Her birth date is 16 July 1992, and her full name is Erin Rachael Doherty.

Is Erin Doherty related to Shannen Doherty?

No. Despite the shared surname, Erin Doherty and Shannen Doherty (the American actress known for Beverly Hills, 90210) are not related. Available records show no familial connection, and the similarity is coincidental. This confusion is common in search queries but has no basis in fact.

What is Erin Doherty’s career timeline?

1. 2016 – Makes television debut in an episode of Call the Midwife playing Jessie Marsh.
2. 2018 – Appears in the BBC miniseries Les Misérables.
3. 2019 – Cast as Princess Anne in Netflix’s The Crown (Season 3).
4. 2020 – Continues role in The Crown Season 4.
5. 2021 – Stars as Sinead Donnelly in Call the Midwife (later episode).
6. 2025 – Portrays Briony Ariston in Adolescence and wins Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe awards.

What is known and unknown about Erin Doherty?

Background and career analysis

Doherty’s training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and her early stage recognition – winning the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year Award in 2015 – laid a strong foundation. Her casting as Princess Anne was widely praised for capturing the young royal’s posture and speech patterns. The shift from period drama (The Crown) to a contemporary psychological thriller (Adolescence) demonstrated considerable range.

The persistent confusion with Shannen Doherty likely stems from the shared surname; the two actresses have no known professional or personal ties. Doherty’s decision to keep her private life out of the spotlight is consistent with many British actors who prefer to let their work speak for itself.

For another actress’s career overview, read Haley Lu Richardson – Biography, Movies and White Lotus Role.

Quotes and sources

“Erin recently won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role in ADOLESCENCE.”

– Conway Van Gelder Grant (agency profile)

“Erin Rachael Doherty is a British actress. She gained recognition as Princess Anne in the third and fourth seasons of the Netflix historical drama The Crown.”

– Wikipedia

“Erin Doherty trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and the Guildford School of Acting.”

– National Theatre

Key takeaways

Erin Doherty has established herself as a versatile actress with two of television’s highest honours – an Emmy and a Golden Globe – for a single role. Her work in The Crown remains her most widely seen performance, while her personal life, including her reported relationship with Sinead Donnelly, stays largely private. For similar biographies, see Emma Myers – Full Biography with Age, Height, and Movies.

Frequently asked questions