FRANCESCA CORNEY

Coat by AMI Paris. Shoes by Jimmy Choo. Jewellery by Missoma

Thai-British actress Francesca Corney has starred in many of the buzziest shows and films from the past few years, from the Gilded Age drama The Buccaneers to psychological thriller The Girlfriend. Her latest project, science-fiction miniseries The War Between the Land and the Sea debuted on the BBC this month, and is already garnering lots of chatter online. 

5’ELEVEN sat down with the friendly and talented Francesca to chat about all things acting, from her chance encounter in Thailand with what has now become a fulltime career to her unique (and sensory) rituals to becoming a new character.

Words by Ella Mansell

Photographed by Christopher Fenner. Styled by Alexandria Field. Hair by Michela Olivieri at Caren using Maria Nila. Make-up by Lucy Wearing using Dr Sam Skincare. Stylist assisted by Stephanie Daley. Francesca Corney appears courtesy of Pinnacle PR

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Let’s start broadly. Tell me about you. Where did you grow up? How did acting come about?

I was born and raised in Kent, and went to school here. I moved to Thailand when I was 18 and lived there for about nine years because I am half Thai; my mum is Thai and my Dad is English. I went to university here, studying Communication Arts and majored in Advertising. I also had a modelling agency that I did commercials through which helped pay for my studies. This is how I got into acting. Fistful of Vengeance was pretty much the first thing I ever did; the casting director reached out to me as they were auditioning locals for smaller roles and asked me if I wanted to give it a go. I was selected for a smaller role until one of the lead actresses had to drop out at the last minute and I was offered a bigger part. I had never stepped onto a film set before – but it was such good fun. I never saw acting as a potential career because my parents have a more traditional approach to work. I was lucky.

Amazing how it all worked out. What is it about acting that still draws you to it as a career?

Maybe it’s cliche, but I love telling stories. I remember watching The Lord of the Rings for the first time (I still watch it every year, it’s tradition at this point) and feeling so moved by the characters and their stories and what they have to go through. Frodo is so ordinary and unassuming, but is doing something so extraordinary. I love stories that showcase courage and heart and love; they really touch me. Fistful of Vengeance wasn’t just about being such a cool opportunity with a cool set – the story itself was really cool as a martial arts action film.

Jacket by Theo Official

You have starred in a varied selection of many of the buzziest shows across the past few years, including The Girlfriend, The Buccaneers, Fistful of Vengeance. Can you give us a quick rundown of each of your characters and one thing you learnt from each experience? 

For Fistful of Vengeance, I played Preeya who is a local village girl with inside knowledge. It’s a standalone film following the Wu Assassins series. The film comes to Thailand to seek justice for one of the character’s sisters who had been killed. Preeya helped out, and is very savvy, quite charming and a little cocky. I felt lucky to have Roel Reine as director and be surrounded by the great cast; they really held my hand through it all and I learnt so much from them. I learnt a lot about set etiquette – learning your lines and being on time, being polite etc. 

The Buccaneers was one of the first series I ever did, so that was still very new for me. Jean Hopeleigh is very different to Preeya – quiet, gentle, and soft spoken – she knew her place in society and wouldn’t overstep. She had courage in her own way and tried her best to become a part of the group, even though she had been rejected many times. I felt protective of her.  I learnt a lot from Mia Threapleton who plays Honoria Marable – we had a lovely scene together and she's still a good friend now. It was cool to experience a period drama with the most gorgeous locations and costumes – it really made me realise how important costumes are in creating a world. 

With The Girlfriend, it was interesting to watch Robin Wright direct and act at the same time. I hadn’t seen that before and it seemed like a lot to take on but I have a lot of respect for it. 

Is jumping over to the other side of the camera and directing something you’d like to do in the future?

I don't know if I could direct and act at the same time because that seems like a lot to take on. I am definitely interested in writing, and often write stories – nothing too serious – usually in between projects when I have a little more time. It’s a great way to stay creatively engaged with something I love. 

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Let’s talk about The War Between the Land and the Sea by Russell T Davies, the screenwriter behind Doctor Who, which debuted this December. Tell us about your role as Barclay’s (played by Russell Tovey) right hand woman. 

I play Hana Chakri who is a sergeant under UNIT, the militarization task force protecting humanity. Sergeant Hana Chakri’s identity is rooted in her job, and she comes off as a little bit of an ice queen. She initially views Barclay as a hindrance, as sort of getting in the way of things. But, as time goes on she can see how he is able to handle things and sees his courage and his heart, and grows to respect and care for him too. 

Working on this set, do you have any favourite memories or moments?

This was one of the first times I worked in a studio – most of the other jobs I have done have been on location. Walking in, I was a bit apprehensive I’d say; I didn’t know if I’d be walking into a big room with green screens and have to talk to a tennis ball or something, and then really have to dig deep to try to get into the right frame of mind. However, the set builds were incredible, especially the Empress Hall. It was so easy to enter and be a part of this world. The prosthetics were beautifully done too. We also shot a few scenes in Mallorca in a sandy cove area – I remember it was storming heavily with sand blowing everywhere but it was such good fun. The team even managed to catch a lighting strike that made it into the show I think. 

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That’s interesting because I imagine it’s different working on a set with lots of special effects and post-production compared to working on location. Is it generally trickier to get into character?

It’s interesting because maybe the scenes I was in required less than expected. I wasn’t in the Plastic Apocalypse but I saw behind the scenes of this. Overall, the prosthetics and sets were so intricately done that it was almost like being on location in a sense. 

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More generally speaking, what are your routines and rituals for becoming a character? 

I'm really inclined to embody a character through all senses. So I'll have a different perfume for each character. I’ll also have a different playlist for each character to get into it too. Music is such a powerful emotional primer and is really useful for getting into a certain headscape. On set for The War Between the Land and the Sea, before we filmed a war scene the crew put on a powerful playlist and it really unified everyone and got them all in the same headspace. I like to journal pretending to be a character too. Overall it depends; sometimes I feel I have a good grasp on someone quickly, and sometimes I need to live in it a bit longer on set and figure out their dynamics. 

Dress by Toga. Hoisery by Calzedonia. Shoes by Vagabond. Jewellery by Dower & Hall

I love the idea of having different perfumes. How do you select one for each character?

For The War Between the Land and the Sea I wore a French perfume called Gris Charnel by BDK. It’s a musky, sandalwood scent. I tend to try a bunch of samples and then see which aligns best with my character – while also being something I want to wear in my daily life! 

A style or genre of cinema you’ve always been drawn to? Or perhaps a specific director or screenwriter you’d love to work with?

I’m a big fantasy nerd. I love escapism and delving into a world that’s so different to our own via film, especially fantasy that has a grounding or human aspect to it. I love a really good horror film too. I like American filmmaker Ari Aster’s work who wrote Midsommar and Hereditary. 

Thinking of your dream role or project, who would you play and why?

I mean, I'd love to be in something like The Lord of The Rings honestly and play Aragorn who is very brave, courageous, and has lots of heart.

Watch The War Between the Land and the Sea on the BBC. The show debuted this month (December 2025) with a new episode released every Sunday. 

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