The Crown star reveals all about playing Sherlock Holmes’s mysterious mother who spends 10 years in an asylum

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Why did this role appeal?

I really enjoyed that this story wasn’t based on the original Sherlock Holmes adventures, which meant we didn’t have to worry about letting dedicated fans down. It’s a fun, playful, and daring story.

Since Cordelia isn’t a character from the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, did you feel less pressure playing her compared to a more established character?

Working on the film Mrs. Dalloway definitely felt like a challenge – I really wanted to capture Virginia Woolf’s incredible vision. It was refreshing to approach it without a long history of adaptations. I wasn’t following any existing versions of the story, and I didn’t feel any pressure from competition while developing my portrayal of Cordelia. It felt like a truly original project.

Where do we first see Cordelia?

She’s living in a mental institution, but it’s not a healing place, more like a beautiful prison. It’s heartbreaking to think about how trapped she must feel inside her own mind. It really makes you question things, though. If no one understands what you’re going through, you start to wonder if you’re the one who’s wrong, if what you’re experiencing is even real.

Do we see the real Cordelia after she leaves the asylum?

It was a truly happy moment. After being imprisoned for a decade, she was eager to embrace every opportunity and experience life to the fullest. She wasn’t afraid to take chances, because nothing could be worse than what she’d already been through.

Did you enjoy working with Hero [Fiennes Tiffin]?

He truly lives up to his reputation as a remarkable person – he’s charming, talented, and genuinely heroic. Coming from a family of actors, he’s incredibly inquisitive, curious, and always approaches his work with humility. It’s really special working with young actors like him. Despite what the media often suggests, this generation isn’t entitled or lazy – in fact, I’ve found them to be quite the opposite.

Authors

Emma Cox

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2026-02-25 13:04