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In 1985, Thompson was cast in the West End revival of the musical '' Me and My Girl'', co-starring Robert Lindsay. It provided a breakthrough in her career, as the production earned rave reviews. She played the role of Sally Smith for 15 months, which exhausted her: she later remarked "I thought if I did the fucking "
A turning point in Thompson's career came when she was cast opposite
Interview with Boyd Hilton
. London. A Life in Pictures. BAFTA She has named the film as one of the greatest experiences of her career, considering it to be a "masterpiece of withheld emotion". ''The Remains of the Day'' was a critical and commercial success, receiving eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and a second Best Actress nomination for Thompson. Along with her Best Actress nomination at the 66th Academy Awards, Thompson was also nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category, making her the eighth performer in history to be List of actors nominated for two Academy Awards in the same year, nominated for two Oscars in the same year. It came for her role as the lawyer Gareth Peirce in ''
Thompson's Academy success continued with ''
. Emmys: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 31 January 2014. For her second Hollywood role, Thompson starred with John Travolta in Mike Nichols's ''
Thompson continued with supporting roles in the 2003 drama ''Imagining Argentina (film), Imagining Argentina'', where she played a dissident-journalist abducted by the country's National Reorganization Process, 1970s dictatorial regime. Antonio Banderas played the husband who tries to find her, in a film that most critics disliked. The film was booed and jeered at when it was screened at the Venice Film Festival and received a scathing article in ''The Guardian''. Thompson had greater success that year when she worked with HBO for a second time in the acclaimed miniseries ''
Thompson received further acclaim for her work in the London-based romance ''
The review in ''The Independent'' expressed thanks that her "playing of Travers is so deft that we instantly warm to her, and forgive her her snobbery", while ''Total Film''s critic felt that Thompson brought depth to the "predictable" film with "her best performance in years". Thompson was nominated for Best Actress at the BAFTAs, SAGs and Golden Globes, and was awarded the Lead Actress trophy from the National Board of Review. Meryl Streep, her co-star in ''Angels in America'', admitted to being "shocked" at Thompson's failure to receive an Oscar nomination for ''Saving Mr. Banks''.
The romantic comedy ''The Love Punch'' (2013) gave Thompson her second consecutive leading role, where she played half of a divorced couple who reunite to steal the man's ex-boss's diamond. In March 2014, she made her first stage appearance in 24 years – and her New York debut – in a Lincoln Center production of ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''. She appeared in the musical for five nights, and her "playful" performance of Mrs Lovett was highly praised; the critic Kayla Epstein wrote that she "not only held her own against more experienced vocalists, but wound up running off with the show". She received her sixth Primetime Emmy Award nomination, specifically for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for the televised performance. In 2014, Thompson provided the narration for Jason Reitman's comedy-drama film, ''Men, Women & Children (film), Men, Women & Children''.
The period drama ''Effie Gray (film), Effie Gray'', a project that she had been working on for many years, based on the true-life story of John Ruskin's disastrous marriage, was written by Thompson but became the subject of a copyright suit before being cleared for cinemas. The American playwright Gregory Murphy said that Thompson's screenplay was an infringement on his play and screenplay ''The Countess (play), The Countess'', which he claimed he had submitted to Thompson through a mutual friend in 2003 to consider the role of Elizabeth Eastlake in a proposed film of his play, and to Thompson's husband Greg Wise through a casting director to consider the role of John Ruskin in the play's 2005 West End production. In 2008, Thompson announced that she and Wise "had written a script together about John Ruskin, the Victorian art critic, which we want to make into a film." After meeting with Thompson and her producers, Potboiler Productions, Murphy was offered a screenwriting fee and co-screenwriting credit with Thompson in settlement of his claim. This settlement offer was later abandoned by Thompson, Greg Wise and their partner Donald Rosenfeld, when their company Sovereign Films took over production of the film and instigated the suit, creating the independent entity Effie Film, LLC, spearheaded by Rosenfeld, to litigate it. In March 2013, District Court Judge Thomas P. Griesa, after allowing Thompson to submit a second revised screenplay into evidence from which Murphy claimed "some of the most troubling material" had been removed, ruled that while there were similarities, the screenplays were "quite dissimilar in their two approaches to fictionalising the same historical events". In response to Murphy's attorney's concerns that the completed film ''Effie Gray'' would not adhere to Thompson's second revised screenplay, Judge Griesa concluded his ruling by saying that Thompson's film would not infringe Murphy's play or screenplay "only to the extent that it does not substantially deviate from the November 29, 2011 screenplay," the date of Thompson's second revised screenplay. In May 2013, ''Effie Gray's'' Cannes Film Festival premiere was cancelled. In October 2013, the film was withdrawn from the Mill Valley Film Festival in California due to "unforeseen circumstances" according to producer Rosenfeld. In December 2013, Thompson said of the still unreleased ''Effie Gray'' that its "time has probably passed," comparing it to another project of hers that "didn't happen either". ''Effie Gray'' was released in October 2014, to a modest reception. Thompson plays Elizabeth Eastlake and Greg Wise plays John Ruskin. They both declined to promote the film. Camilla Long, reviewing ''Effie Gray'' in ''The Sunday Times'', wrote "nothing fits together" and "no one seems to know why they made this film. Where is Thompson's passion and commitment, or any hint of what she intended to achieve." Manohla Dargis in her review in ''The New York Times'' called ''Effie Gray'' "The cinematic equivalent of a Brazilian wax, the movie omits much of the story's most interesting material to create something that's been smoothly denatured."
Thompson's first film of 2015 was ''A Walk in the Woods (film), A Walk in the Woods'', a comedy adapted from the book by Bill Bryson of which she co-starred with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. She next starred in ''The Legend of Barney Thomson''. Her role was a 77-year-old foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, Glaswegian former prostitute, the mother of the title character. Neither film was a critical success, although the latter received some positive reviews and ''Empire (magazine), Empire'' magazine wrote that Thomson was "unforgettable". Later that year, she had a supporting role in the restaurant-based film Burnt (film), ''Burnt''. In 2016, she starred in the World War II-drama ''Alone in Berlin (film), Alone in Berlin'', based on the story of Otto and Elise Hampel. She also co-wrote the screenplay for ''Bridget Jones's Baby'' and appeared in the film as a doctor.
In 2017, Thompson appeared in a supporting role as List of Disney's Beauty and the Beast characters#Mrs. Potts, Mrs. Potts (originally voiced by Angela Lansbury in the Beauty and the Beast (1991 film), 1991 animated film) in Disney's live-action adaptation of ''
She also had a supporting role as a hippy in the Noah Baumbach-directed dramedy ''The Meyerowitz Stories'', which premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim. She followed it with a starring role in the film ''The Children Act (film), The Children Act'', a drama about a family who refuse cancer treatment for their son based on religious beliefs. She had a cameo role as Queen Elizabeth I in the 2017 Christmas special of the BBC sitcom ''Upstart Crow''. In 2018, she provided the voiceover for Greenpeace's palm-oil awareness commercial which Iceland (supermarket) picked to promote as their 2018 Christmas advertisement. The commercial was rejected by the advertising organisation Clearcast due to Greenpeace's alleged involvement in politics, thus violating their code of conduct. Also that year, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama. Thompson starred in the comedy-drama '' Late Night'' (2019), which was written by Mindy Kaling (who also co-starred in that film) and featured her as a popular television host who hires a new writer to keep the show from getting replaced. The film received positive reviews, with Thompson being singled out for praise, and Owen Gleiberman of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' remarked that "Thompson truly seems like a born talk-show host. Even when she's just riffing, she grounds ''Late Night'' in something real." She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. In the same year, she voiced as the Yeti Elder in the stop-motion animated film ''Missing Link (2019 film), Missing Link'', reprised her role as Agent O in a more substantial part in '' Men in Black: International'', and co-produced and co-starred alongside Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding in the festive romantic comedy ''Last Christmas (film), Last Christmas'', which was based on the Last Christmas, song of the same name by George Michael, and was written by Thompson, her husband Greg Wise, and Bryony Kimmings. In 2021, Thompson starred opposite Emma Stone as the Cruella de Vil, titular protagonist villain in '' Cruella'', a Disney live-action spin-off/reboot of ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', directed by Craig Gillespie, which was released on 28 May 2021 to positive reviews and has grossed $233million worldwide against its $100million budget.
She won praise from critics for the role of the Baroness with Alonso Duralde from ''The Wrap'' writing, "Thompson sinking every last tooth into a role that's half Miranda Priestly and half Phantom Thread, Reynolds Woodcock." In 2022, Thompson starred opposite Daryl McCormack in the sex comedy-drama '' Good Luck to You, Leo Grande'', written by Katy Brand and directed by Sophie Hyde.
Thompson has stated that she feels Scottish, saying: "not only because I am half Scottish but also because I've spent half my life [in Scotland]". She frequently returns to Scotland and visits Dunoon in Argyll and Bute. She owns a home nearby, on the shore of Loch Eck.
She is particularly active in human rights work. She is chair of the Helen Bamber#Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture, Helen Bamber Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, a patron of the Refugee Council, and has a therapy room in her office for traumatised refugees. Thompson is also an activist for Palestinian people, Palestinians, having been a member of the British-based ENOUGH! coalition that seeks to end the "Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank". She is a patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and in 2009 ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine named her a "European Hero" in recognition of "her work to highlight the plight of AIDS sufferers in Africa".
Thompson is also an active environmentalist. She is a supporter of Greenpeace, and in January 2009, as part of her campaign against climate change, she and three other members of the organisation bought land near the village of Sipson to deter the building of a Expansion of Heathrow Airport, third runway for Heathrow Airport. In August 2014, Thompson and her daughter, Gaia, went on a Greenpeace "Save the Arctic" expedition to raise awareness of the dangers of Petroleum exploration in the Arctic, drilling for oil. She narrated The Real News Network's ''The Doubt Machine: Inside the Koch Brothers' War on Climate Science'', a documentary short about Koch Industries and its efforts to discredit climate research. The film was released on 31 October 2016. In 2019, she supported the London Extinction Rebellion rally against climate change, although she received some criticism for having flown to attend it. She is also an ambassador for the Galapagos Conservation Trust.
In 2010, Thompson criticised people who use "sloppy language." Speaking with the ''Radio Times'' she said, "I went to give a talk at my old school and the girls were all doing their 'likes' and 'innits?' and 'it ain'ts', which drives me insane. I told them 'Just don't do it. Because it makes you sound stupid and you're not stupid. There is the necessity to have two languages – one that you use with your mates and the other that you need in any official capacity."
Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two
In her youth, Thompson was intrigued by language and literature, a trait which she attributes to her father, who shared her love of words. After successfully taking A levels in English, French and Latin, and securing a scholarship, she began studying for an English degree at
show '' The Crystal Cube'' (1983). ''There's Nothing to Worry About!'' later returned as the networked Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globes
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
, a British Academy Television Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Born in London to actors Eric Thompson
Eric Norman Thompson (9 November 1929 – 30 November 1982) was an English actor, scriptwriter and stage director. He is best remembered for creating and performing the English narration for ''The Magic Roundabout'', which he adapted from ...
and Phyllida Law
Phyllida Ann Law (born 8 May 1932) is a British actress, known for her numerous roles in film and television.
Early life
Law was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Meg "Mego" and William Law, a journalist. Prior to the Second World War, her fath ...
, Thompson was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women's constituent college of the University of Cambridge.
The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sidgwick and suffragist campaigner Millicen ...
, where she became a member of the Footlights
Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University.
History
Footlights' inaugural ...
troupe, and appeared in the comedy sketch series ''Alfresco
Alfresco may refer to:
* ''Al fresco'', or fresco, a technique of mural painting
* Al fresco dining
* Alfresco Software, an open-source content-management system
* ''Alfresco'' (TV series), a 1980s British television comedy series
* ''Al fresc ...
'' (1983–1984). In 1985, she starred in the West End revival of the musical '' Me and My Girl'', which was a breakthrough in her career. In 1987, she came to prominence for her performances in two BBC TV series, ''Tutti Frutti
Tutti frutti (from Italian ''tutti i frutti'', "all fruits"; also hyphenated tutti-frutti) is a colorful confectionery containing various chopped and usually candied fruits, or an artificial or natural flavouring simulating the combined flavou ...
'' and '' Fortunes of War'', winning the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her work on both series. In the early 1990s, she often collaborated with then-husband, actor and director Kenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
, in films such as ''Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...
'' (1989), ''Dead Again
''Dead Again'' is a 1991 neo-noir romantic thriller film directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Scott Frank. It stars Branagh and Emma Thompson, with Andy García, Derek Jacobi, Hanna Schygulla, Wayne Knight, and Robin Williams appearing i ...
'' (1991), and ''Much Ado About Nothing
''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'' (1993).
For her performance in ''Howards End
''Howards End'' is a novel by E. M. Forster, first published in 1910, about social conventions, codes of conduct and relationships in turn-of-the-century England. ''Howards End'' is considered by many to be Forster's masterpiece. The book was ...
'' (1992), Thompson won the BAFTA Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...
and the Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
. In 1993, she received two Academy Award nominations—Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress—for the respective roles of the housekeeper of a grand household in ''The Remains of the Day
''The Remains of the Day'' is a 1989 novel by the Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize-winning British author Kazuo Ishiguro. The protagonist, Stevens, is a butler with a long record of service at Darlington Hall, a stately home near Oxford, ...
'' and a lawyer in ''In the Name of the Father
IN, In or in may refer to:
Places
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Indepen ...
'', becoming one of the few actors to achieve this feat. Thompson wrote and starred in ''Sense and Sensibility
''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...
'' (1995), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay Film adaptation, adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include st ...
—which makes her the only person in history to win Oscars for both acting and writing—and once again won the BAFTA. Further acclaim came for her portrayal of author P. L. Travers in ''Saving Mr. Banks
''Saving Mr. Banks'' is a 2013 biographical drama film directed by John Lee Hancock from a screenplay written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Centered on the development of the 1964 film ''Mary Poppins'', the film stars Emma Thompson as author ...
'' (2013).
Other notable film credits include ''Primary Colors
A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a br ...
'' (1998), ''Love Actually
''Love Actually'' is a 2003 Christmas romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. It features an ensemble cast, composed predominantly of British actors, many of whom had worked with Curtis in previous film and television proje ...
'' (2003), the ''Harry Potter'' series (2004–2011), ''Nanny McPhee
''Nanny McPhee'' is a 2005 comedy drama fantasy film based on the Nurse Matilda character by Christianna Brand. It was directed by Kirk Jones, coproduced by StudioCanal, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Working Title Films, Three Strange Angel ...
'' (2005), '' Stranger than Fiction'' (2006), ''Last Chance Harvey
''Last Chance Harvey'' is a 2008 American romantic drama film written and directed by Joel Hopkins. The screenplay focuses on two lonely people who tentatively forge a relationship during two days. Dustin Hoffman plays the title character, Harvey ...
'' (2008), ''An Education
''An Education'' is a 2009 coming-of-age drama film based on a memoir of the same name by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby. It stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright school ...
'' (2009), ''Men in Black 3
''Men in Black 3'' (stylized as ''MIB³'') is a 2012 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. It is the third installment in the ''Men in Black'' film se ...
'' (2012) and the spin-off '' Men in Black: International'' (2019), '' Brave'' (2012), ''Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
'' (2017), '' Late Night'' (2019), '' Cruella'' (2021), '' Good Luck to You, Leo Grande'' (2022), and playing Miss Trunchbull
Agatha Trunchbull, also known as Miss Trunchbull or simply The Trunchbull, the fictional headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School (or Elementary School), is the main antagonist in Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel ''Matilda'' and its spinoffs: the 199 ...
in ''Matilda the Musical
''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', simply known as ''Matilda'' or ''Matilda the Musical'', is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly, based on the 1988 novel ''Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narrative ...
'' (2022). Her television credits include '' Wit'' (2001), ''Angels in America
''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award f ...
'' (2003), ''The Song of Lunch
''The Song of Lunch'' is a British 2010 television adaptation of Christopher Reid's poem of the same name. It was directed by Niall MacCormick and stars Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. Screened on 9 October 2010 during National Poetry Month, t ...
'' (2010), ''King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...
'' (2018) and '' Years and Years'' (2019). Authorised by the publishers of Beatrix Potter
Helen Beatrix Potter (, 28 July 186622 December 1943) was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' The Tale of Peter Rabbit'', which was ...
, Thompson has also written three Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit is a fictional animal character in various children's stories by English author Beatrix Potter.
A mischievous, adventurous young rabbit who wears a blue jacket, he first appeared in ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' in 1902, and subs ...
children's books.
Early life
Thompson was born in London on 15 April 1959. Her mother is the Scottish actressPhyllida Law
Phyllida Ann Law (born 8 May 1932) is a British actress, known for her numerous roles in film and television.
Early life
Law was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Meg "Mego" and William Law, a journalist. Prior to the Second World War, her fath ...
, while her English father, Eric Thompson
Eric Norman Thompson (9 November 1929 – 30 November 1982) was an English actor, scriptwriter and stage director. He is best remembered for creating and performing the English narration for ''The Magic Roundabout'', which he adapted from ...
, was involved in theatre, and was the writer–narrator of the popular children's television series ''The Magic Roundabout
''The Magic Roundabout'' is an English-language children's television programme that ran from 1965 to 1977. It used the footage of the French stop motion animation show ''Le Manège enchanté'' but with completely different scripts and characte ...
''. Her godfather was the director and writer Ronald Eyre
Ronald Eyre (13 April 1929 – 8 April 1992) was an English theatre director, actor and writer.
Biography
Eyre was born at Mapplewell, near Barnsley, Yorkshire and he taught at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn and Giggleswick ...
. She has one sister, Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress who has worked in film, television and theatre. A six-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ''Into the Woods' ...
, who also works as an actress. The family lived in West Hampstead
West Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden in north-west London. Mainly defined by the railway stations of the same name, it is situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage ...
in north London, and Thompson was educated at Camden School for Girls
The Camden School for Girls (CSG) is a comprehensive secondary school for girls, with a co-educational sixth form, in the London Borough of Camden in north London. It has about one thousand students of ages eleven to eighteen, and specialist- ...
. She spent much time in Scotland during her childhood and often visited Ardentinny
Ardentinny ( gd, Àird an t-Sionnaich or Àird an Teine) is a small village on the western shore of Loch Long, north of Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands.
Nearby is Cruach a Chaise (Cheese Hill), while on the ...
, where her grandparents and uncle lived.
In her youth, Thompson was intrigued by language and literature, a trait which she attributes to her father, who shared her love of words. After successfully taking A levels in English, French and Latin, and securing a scholarship, she began studying for an English degree at Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women's constituent college of the University of Cambridge.
The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sidgwick and suffragist campaigner Millicen ...
, arriving in 1977. Thompson believes that it was inevitable that she would become an actress, commenting that she was "surrounded by creative people and I don't think it would ever have gone any other way, really". While there, she had a "seminal moment" that turned her to feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
and inspired her to take up performing. She explained in an interview in 2007 how she discovered the book ''The Madwoman in the Attic
''The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination'' is a 1979 book by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, in which they examine Victorian literature from a feminist perspective. Gilbert and Gubar draw th ...
'', "which is about Victorian female writers and the disguises they took on in order to express what they wanted to express. That completely changed my life." She became a self-professed "punk rocker", with short red hair and a motorbike, and aspired to be a comedian like Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ...
.
At Cambridge, Thompson was invited into the Cambridge Footlights
Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University.
History
Footlights' inaugural ...
, the university's prestigious sketch comedy troupe, by its president, Martin Bergman
Martin Bergman (born 17 June 1957) is a British Theatrical producer, producer, writer and Theatre director, director who works in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood.
He studied English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge from 1976, and was presi ...
, becoming its first female member. Also in the troupe were fellow actors Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
and Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...
, and she had a romantic relationship with the latter. Fry recalled that "there was no doubt that Emma was going the distance. Our nickname for her was Emma Talented."
In 1980, Thompson served as the Vice President of Footlights, and co-directed the troupe's first all-female revue, ''Woman's Hour''. The following year, Thompson and her Footlights team won the Perrier Award
Perrier ( , also , ) is a French brand of natural bottled mineral water obtained at its source in Vergèze, located in the Gard ''département''. Perrier is known for its carbonation and its distinctive green bottle.
Perrier was part of th ...
at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for their sketch show ''The Cellar Tapes
The ''Cambridge Footlights Revue'' is an annual revue by the Footlights Club - a group of comedy writer-performers at the University of Cambridge. Three of the more notable revues are detailed below.
1963 revue
"A Clump of Plinths" — "Ca ...
''. Thompson graduated with upper second-class honours
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
.
In 1982, Thompson's father died aged 52. The actress has commented that this "tore he familyto pieces", and "I can't begin to tell you how much I regret his not being around". She added, "At the same time, it's possible that were he still alive I might never have had the space or courage to do what I've done ... I have a definite feeling of inheriting space. And power."
Career
Early work and breakthrough (1982–1989)
Thompson had her first professional role in 1982, touring in a stage version of ''Not the Nine O'Clock News
''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-cur ...
''. She then turned to television, where much of her early work came with her Footlights co-stars Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. The regional ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
comedy series '' There's Nothing To Worry About!'' (1982) was their first outing, followed by the one-off BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...sketch show
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and i ...
''Alfresco
Alfresco may refer to:
* ''Al fresco'', or fresco, a technique of mural painting
* Al fresco dining
* Alfresco Software, an open-source content-management system
* ''Alfresco'' (TV series), a 1980s British television comedy series
* ''Al fresc ...
'' (1983–84), which ran for two series with Thompson, Fry, Laurie, Ben Elton
Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms '' The Young Ones'' and ''Bla ...
, and Robbie Coltrane
Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. H ...
. She later collaborated again with Fry and Laurie on the acclaimed BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
series ''Saturday Night Fry
''Saturday Night Fry'' is a six-part comedy series on BBC Radio 4 that was first broadcast between 30 April and 4 June 1988. Episode One had previously been broadcast as a pilot on 19 December 1987, under the title ''Fry on Saturday''.
A diff ...
'' (1988).
In 1985, Thompson was cast in the West End revival of the musical '' Me and My Girl'', co-starring Robert Lindsay. It provided a breakthrough in her career, as the production earned rave reviews. She played the role of Sally Smith for 15 months, which exhausted her: she later remarked "I thought if I did the fucking "Lambeth Walk
Lambeth Walk is a street in Lambeth, London, England, off Lambeth Road. It was at the heart of a working-class residential area and there was a street market.
The area was originally developed with wells and a recreation ground. Houses fol ...
" one more time I was going to fucking throw up." At the end of 1985, she wrote and starred in her own one-off special for Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
, ''Emma Thompson: Up for Grabs''.
Thompson achieved another breakthrough in 1987, when she had leading roles in two television miniseries: '' Fortunes of War'', a World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
drama co-starring Kenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
, and ''Tutti Frutti
Tutti frutti (from Italian ''tutti i frutti'', "all fruits"; also hyphenated tutti-frutti) is a colorful confectionery containing various chopped and usually candied fruits, or an artificial or natural flavouring simulating the combined flavou ...
'', a dark-comedy about a Scottish rock band with Robbie Coltrane
Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. H ...
. For these performances, Thompson won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
. The following year, she wrote and starred in her own sketch comedy series for BBC, ''Thompson
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
*Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province
Canada
* ...
'', but this was poorly received. In 1989, she and Branagh—with whom she had formed a romantic relationship—starred in a stage revival of ''Look Back in Anger
''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...
'', directed by Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
and produced by Branagh's Renaissance Theatre Company
The Renaissance Theatre Company was a theatre company founded in 1987 by Kenneth Branagh and David Parfitt. It was disbanded in 1992.
History
The company was a development of the work Branagh and Parfitt had been doing periodically on the Londo ...
. Later that year, the pair starred in a televised version of the play.
Thompson's first cinema appearance came in the romantic comedy ''The Tall Guy
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1989), the feature-film debut from screenwriter Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis (born 8 November 1956) is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, producer and film director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known primarily for romantic comedy films, among them '' ...
. It starred Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and ''Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels.
...
as a West End actor, and Thompson played the nurse with whom he falls in love. The film was not widely seen, but Thompson's performance was praised in ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', where Caryn James called her "an exceptionally versatile comic actress". She next turned to Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
, appearing as Princess Katherine in Branagh's screen adaptation of ''Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...
'' (1989). The film was released to great critical acclaim.
''Howards End'' and worldwide recognition (1990–1993)
Thompson and Branagh are considered by American writer and criticJames Monaco
James F. Monaco (November 15, 1942 – November 25, 2019) was an American film critic, author, publisher, and educator.
Life and Work
Monaco founded Baseline in 1982, an early online database about the entertainment industry, and a forerunner o ...
to have led the "British cinematic onslaught" in the 1990s. She continued to experiment with Shakespeare in the new decade, appearing with Branagh in his stage productions of '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' and ''King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...
''. Reviewing the latter, the ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'' praised her "extraordinary" performance of the "hobbling, stooped hunchback Fool
Fool, The Fool, or Fools may refer to:
*A jester, also called a ''fool'', a type of historical entertainer known for their witty jokes
*An insult referring to someone of low intelligence or easy gullibility Arts, entertainment and media Fictio ...
". Thompson returned to cinema in 1991, playing a "frivolous aristocrat" in ''Impromptu
An impromptu (, , loosely meaning "offhand") is a free-form musical composition with the character of an ''ex tempore'' improvisation as if prompted by the spirit of the moment, usually for a solo instrument, such as piano. According to ''Allgeme ...
'' with Judy Davis
Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress in film, television, and on stage. With a career spanning over 40 years, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Frequen ...
and Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...
. and Thompson was nominated for Best Supporting Female at the Independent Spirit Awards. Her second release of 1991 was another pairing with Branagh, who also directed, in the Los Angeles-based noir ''Dead Again
''Dead Again'' is a 1991 neo-noir romantic thriller film directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Scott Frank. It stars Branagh and Emma Thompson, with Andy García, Derek Jacobi, Hanna Schygulla, Wayne Knight, and Robin Williams appearing i ...
''. She played a woman who has forgotten her identity. Early in 1992, Thompson had a guest role in an episode of '' Cheers'' as Frasier Crane
Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane (born ) is a fictional character who is both a supporting character on the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' and the titular protagonist of its spin-off ''Frasier'', portrayed by Kelsey Grammer. The character debu ...
's first wife.
A turning point in Thompson's career came when she was cast opposite Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
and Vanessa Redgrave
Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...
in the Merchant Ivory
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
period drama ''Howards End
''Howards End'' is a novel by E. M. Forster, first published in 1910, about social conventions, codes of conduct and relationships in turn-of-the-century England. ''Howards End'' is considered by many to be Forster's masterpiece. The book was ...
'' (1992), based on the novel
''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...
by E. M. Forster
Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author, best known for his novels, particularly ''A Room with a View'' (1908), ''Howards End'' (1910), and ''A Passage to India'' (1924). He also wrote numerous short stori ...
. The film explored the social class system in Edwardian England
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...
, with Thompson playing an idealistic, intellectual, forward-looking woman who comes into association with a privileged and deeply conservative family. She actively pursued the role by writing to director James Ivory, who agreed to an audition and then gave her the part. According to the critic Vincent Canby, the film allowed Thompson to "[come] into her own", away from Branagh. Upon release, Roger Ebert wrote that she was "superb in the central role: quiet, ironic, observant, with steel inside". ''Howards End'' was widely praised, a "surprise hit", and received nine Academy Award nominations. Among its three wins was the Academy Award for Best Actress, Best Actress trophy for Thompson, who was also awarded a Golden Globe and BAFTA for her performance. Reflecting on the role, ''The New York Times'' wrote that the actress "found herself an international success almost overnight".
For her next two films, Thompson returned to working with Branagh. In ''Peter's Friends'' (1992), the pair starred with Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, and Tony Slattery as a group of Cambridge alumni who are reunited ten years after graduating. The comedy was positively reviewed, and Desson Howe of ''The Washington Post'' wrote that Thompson was its highlight: "Even as a rather one-dimensional character, she exudes grace and an adroit sense of comic tragedy." She followed this with Branagh's screen version of ''Much Ado About Nothing
''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'' (1993). The couple starred as Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing), Beatrice and Benedick, alongside a cast that also included Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, and Michael Keaton. Thompson was widely praised for the on-screen chemistry with Branagh and the natural ease with which she played the role marking another critical success for Thompson. Her performance earned a nomination for Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, Best Female Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards.
Thompson reunited with Merchant–Ivory and Anthony Hopkins to film ''The Remains of the Day
''The Remains of the Day'' is a 1989 novel by the Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize-winning British author Kazuo Ishiguro. The protagonist, Stevens, is a butler with a long record of service at Darlington Hall, a stately home near Oxford, ...
'' (1993), a film which has been described as a "classic" and the production team's definitive film. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, novel about a housekeeper and butler in Interwar period, interwar Britain, the story is acclaimed for its study of loneliness and repression, though Thompson was particularly interested in looking at "the deformity that servitude inflicts upon people", since her grandmother had worked as a servant and made many sacrifices.Thompson, Emma (24 November 2014)Interview with Boyd Hilton
. London. A Life in Pictures. BAFTA She has named the film as one of the greatest experiences of her career, considering it to be a "masterpiece of withheld emotion". ''The Remains of the Day'' was a critical and commercial success, receiving eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and a second Best Actress nomination for Thompson. Along with her Best Actress nomination at the 66th Academy Awards, Thompson was also nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category, making her the eighth performer in history to be List of actors nominated for two Academy Awards in the same year, nominated for two Oscars in the same year. It came for her role as the lawyer Gareth Peirce in ''
In the Name of the Father
IN, In or in may refer to:
Places
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Indepen ...
'' (1993), a drama about the Guildford Four starring Daniel Day-Lewis. The film was her second hit of the year, earning $65million and critical praise, and was nominated for Best Picture along with ''The Remains of the Day''.
''Sense and Sensibility'' and established actress (1994–1999)
In 1994, Thompson made her Hollywood debut playing a goofy doctor alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in the blockbuster ''Junior (1994 film), Junior''. Although the male pregnancy storyline was poorly received by most critics and flopped at the box office, Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' praised the lead trio. She returned to independent film, independent cinema for a lead role in ''Carrington (film), Carrington'', which studied the platonic relationship between artist Dora Carrington and writer Lytton Strachey (played by Jonathan Pryce). Roger Ebert remarked that Thompson had "developed a specialty in unrequited love", and the ''TV Guide Film & Video Companion'' commented that her "neurasthenic mannerisms, which usually drive us batty, are appropriate here".
Thompson's Academy success continued with ''Sense and Sensibility
''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...
'' (1995), generally considered to be the most popular and authentic of the numerous film adaptations of Jane Austen's novels made in the 1990s. Thompson—a lifelong lover of Austen's work—was hired to write the film based on the period sketches in her series ''Thompson''. She spent five years developing the screenplay, and took the role of the spinster sister Elinor Dashwood despite, aged 35, being 16 years older than the literary character. Directed by Ang Lee and co-starring Kate Winslet, ''Sense and Sensibility'' received widespread critical acclaim and ranks among the highest-grossing films of Thompson's career. Shelly Frome remarked that she displayed a "great affinity for Jane Austen's style and wit", and Graham Fuller of ''Sight and Sound'' saw her as the film's auteur. Thompson received a third nomination for Best Actress and won the award for Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, making her the only person in history to win an Oscar for both acting and screenwriting. She also earned a second BAFTA Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay.
Thompson was absent from screens in 1996, but returned the following year with Alan Rickman's directorial debut, ''The Winter Guest''. Set over one day in a Scottish seaside village, the drama allowed Thompson and her mother (Phyllida Law
Phyllida Ann Law (born 8 May 1932) is a British actress, known for her numerous roles in film and television.
Early life
Law was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Meg "Mego" and William Law, a journalist. Prior to the Second World War, her fath ...
) to play mother and daughter on screen. She then returned to America to appear in an episode of ''Ellen (TV series), Ellen'', and her self-parodying performance received a Primetime Emmy Award for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.Awards and Nominations: Emma Thompson. Emmys: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 31 January 2014. For her second Hollywood role, Thompson starred with John Travolta in Mike Nichols's ''
Primary Colors
A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a br ...
'' (1998), playing a couple based on Bill Clinton, Bill and Hillary Clinton. Thompson's character, Susan, is described as that of an "ambitious, long-suffering wife" who has to deal with her husband's infidelity. The film was critically well received but lost money at the box office. According to Kevin O'Sullivan (journalist), Kevin O'Sullivan of the ''Daily Mirror'', Americans were "blown away" by her performance and accent, and top Hollywood producers became increasingly interested in casting her. Thompson rejected many of the offers, expressing concerns about living in Los Angeles behind walls with bodyguards, and stated "LA is lovely as long as you know you can leave". She also admitted to feeling tired and jaded with the industry at this point, which influenced her decision to leave film for a year. Thompson followed ''Primary Colors'' by playing an FBI agent opposite Rickman in the poorly received thriller ''Judas Kiss (1998 film), Judas Kiss'' (1998).
Continued screen work and further acclaim (2000–2011)
When she became a mother in 1999, Thompson made a conscious decision to reduce her workload, and in the following years many of her appearances were supporting roles. She was not seen on screen again until 2000, with only a small part in the British comedy ''Maybe Baby (2000 film), Maybe Baby'', which she appeared in as a favour to its director, her friendBen Elton
Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms '' The Young Ones'' and ''Bla ...
.
For the HBO television film '' Wit'' (2001), however, Thompson happily took the lead role in what she felt was "one of the best scripts to have come out of America". Adapted from Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize winning Wit (play), play, it focuses on a self-sufficient Harvard University professor who finds her values challenged when she is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Thompson was instrumental in bringing Mike Nichols to direct the project, and the pair spent months in rehearsal to get the complex character right. She was greatly drawn to the "daredevil" role, for which she had no qualms about shaving her head. Reviewing the performance, Roger Ebert was touched by "the way she struggles with every ounce of her humanity to keep her self-respect", and in 2008 he called it Thompson's finest work. Caryn James of ''The New York Times'' also described it as "one of her most brilliant performances", adding "we seem to be peering into a soul as embattled as its body." The film earned Thompson nominations at the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Golden Globes, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie, Emmys and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie, Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Thompson's only credit of 2002 was a voice role in Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's ''Treasure Planet'', an adaptation of ''Treasure Island'', where she voiced Captain Amelia. The animation earned far less than its large budget and was considered a "box office disaster". This failure was countered the following year by one of Thompson's biggest commercial successes, Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis (born 8 November 1956) is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, producer and film director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known primarily for romantic comedy films, among them '' ...
's romantic comedy ''Love Actually
''Love Actually'' is a 2003 Christmas romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. It features an ensemble cast, composed predominantly of British actors, many of whom had worked with Curtis in previous film and television proje ...
''. As part of an ensemble cast that included Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, and Colin Firth, she played a middle-class wife who suspects her husband (played by Alan Rickman) of infidelity. The scene in which her stalwart character breaks down was described by one critic as "the best crying on screen ever", and in 2013, Thompson mentioned that she gets commended for this role more than any other. She explained, "I've had so much bloody practice at crying in a bedroom then having to go out and be cheerful, gathering up the pieces of my heart and putting them in a drawer." Her performance received a BAFTA nomination for BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actress.
Thompson continued with supporting roles in the 2003 drama ''Imagining Argentina (film), Imagining Argentina'', where she played a dissident-journalist abducted by the country's National Reorganization Process, 1970s dictatorial regime. Antonio Banderas played the husband who tries to find her, in a film that most critics disliked. The film was booed and jeered at when it was screened at the Venice Film Festival and received a scathing article in ''The Guardian''. Thompson had greater success that year when she worked with HBO for a second time in the acclaimed miniseries ''Angels in America
''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award f ...
'' (2003). The show, also starring Al Pacino and Meryl Streep, deals with the AIDS epidemic in Ronald Reagan, Reagan-era America. Thompson played three roles – a nurse, a homeless woman, and the title role of The Angel of America – and was again nominated for an Emmy Award. In 2004, she played the eccentric Divination teacher Sybill Trelawney in the third Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' film, ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film), Prisoner of Azkaban'', her character described as a "hippy chick professor who teaches fortune-telling". She later reprised the role in ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film), Order of the Phoenix'' (2007) and ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Deathly Hallows – Part 2'' (2011), and has described her time working on the popular franchise as "great fun".
The year 2005 saw the release of a project Thompson had been working on for nine years. Loosely based on the ''Nurse Matilda'' stories that she read as a child, Thompson wrote the screenplay for the children's film ''Nanny McPhee
''Nanny McPhee'' is a 2005 comedy drama fantasy film based on the Nurse Matilda character by Christianna Brand. It was directed by Kirk Jones, coproduced by StudioCanal, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Working Title Films, Three Strange Angel ...
'' – which centres on a mysterious, unsightly nanny who must discipline a group of children. She also took the lead role, alongside Colin Firth and Angela Lansbury, in what was a highly personal project. The film was a success, taking number one at the UK box office and earning $122million worldwide. Commenting on Thompson's screenplay, film critic Claudia Puig wrote that its "well-worn storybook features are woven effectively into an appealing tale of youthful empowerment". The following year, Thompson appeared in the surreal American comedy–drama '' Stranger than Fiction'', playing a novelist whose latest character (played by Will Ferrell) is a real person who hears her narration in his head. Reviews for the film were generally favourable.
Following a brief, uncredited role in the post-apocalyptic blockbuster ''I Am Legend (film), I Am Legend'' (2007), Thompson played the devoutly Catholic Lady Marchmain in a Brideshead Revisited (film), 2008 film adaptation of ''Brideshead Revisited''. Critics were unenthusiastic about the film, but several picked Thompson out as its highlight. Mark Kermode said "Emma Thompson is to some extent becoming the new Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
, as the person who kind of comes in for 15 minutes and is brilliant ... [but then] when she goes away, the rest of the movie has a real problem living up to the wattage of her presence".
Thompson received further acclaim for her work in the London-based romance ''Last Chance Harvey
''Last Chance Harvey'' is a 2008 American romantic drama film written and directed by Joel Hopkins. The screenplay focuses on two lonely people who tentatively forge a relationship during two days. Dustin Hoffman plays the title character, Harvey ...
'' (2008), where she and Dustin Hoffman played a lonely, middle-aged pair who cautiously begin a relationship. Critics praised the chemistry between the two leads, and both received Golden Globe nominations for their performances. Thompson's two 2009 films were both set in 1960s England, and in both she made cameo appearances: as a headmistress in the critically praised drama ''An Education
''An Education'' is a 2009 coming-of-age drama film based on a memoir of the same name by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby. It stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright school ...
'' and as a "tippling mother" in Richard Curtis's ''The Boat That Rocked''.
Five years after the original, Thompson reprised the role of Nanny McPhee with 2010's ''Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang''. Her screenplay transported the story to Britain during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Building on the first film's success, it was another UK box office number one and the sequel was widely seen as an improvement. The same year, Thompson reunited with Alan Rickman for the BBC television film ''The Song of Lunch
''The Song of Lunch'' is a British 2010 television adaptation of Christopher Reid's poem of the same name. It was directed by Niall MacCormick and stars Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. Screened on 9 October 2010 during National Poetry Month, t ...
'', which focused on two unnamed characters meeting at a restaurant 15 years after ending their relationship. Thompson's performance earned her a fourth Emmy Award nomination.
Career expansion and blockbuster films (2012–present)
In 2012, Thompson made a rare appearance in a big-budget Hollywood film when she played the head Agent in ''Men in Black 3
''Men in Black 3'' (stylized as ''MIB³'') is a 2012 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. It is the third installment in the ''Men in Black'' film se ...
'' – a continuation of the Men in Black (franchise), sci-fi comedy franchise starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. With a worldwide gross of $624million, ''MIB3'' ranks as Thompson's highest-grossing release outside of the ''Harry Potter'' films. This mainstream success continued with the Pixar film '' Brave'', in which Thompson voiced Elinor – the Scottish queen despairing at her daughter's defiance against tradition. It was her second consecutive blockbuster release, and critics were generally kind to the film. Also in 2012, Thompson played Queen Elizabeth II in an episode of ''Playhouse Presents'', which dramatised an incident in 1982 when an intruder broke into the Queen's bedroom. Her first film of 2013 was the fantasy romance ''Beautiful Creatures (2013 film), Beautiful Creatures'', in which she played an evil mother. The film aimed to capitalise on the success of ''The Twilight Saga (film series), The Twilight Saga'', but was poorly reviewed and a box office bomb, box office disappointment. Film critic Peter Travers was critical of Thompson's performance and "outrageously awful Southern accent", and feared "the damage this crock may do to [her] reputation".
''Saving Mr. Banks
''Saving Mr. Banks'' is a 2013 biographical drama film directed by John Lee Hancock from a screenplay written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Centered on the development of the 1964 film ''Mary Poppins'', the film stars Emma Thompson as author ...
'', which depicted the making of ''Mary Poppins (film), Mary Poppins'', starred Thompson in a leading role as P. L. Travers, the curmudgeonly author of the source novel, alongside Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. Her performance, in contrast to her widely panned appearance in ''Beautiful Creatures'', was received enthusiastically, with one journalist writing "Emma Thompson is back, firing on all cylinders." She found it to be the best script she had read in years and was delighted to be offered the role. She considered it the most challenging of her career because she had "never really played anyone quite so contradictory or difficult before", but found the inconsistent and complicated character "a blissful joy to embody". The film was well-received, grossed $112million worldwide, and Thompson's performance garnered critical acclaim.The review in ''The Independent'' expressed thanks that her "playing of Travers is so deft that we instantly warm to her, and forgive her her snobbery", while ''Total Film''s critic felt that Thompson brought depth to the "predictable" film with "her best performance in years". Thompson was nominated for Best Actress at the BAFTAs, SAGs and Golden Globes, and was awarded the Lead Actress trophy from the National Board of Review. Meryl Streep, her co-star in ''Angels in America'', admitted to being "shocked" at Thompson's failure to receive an Oscar nomination for ''Saving Mr. Banks''.
The romantic comedy ''The Love Punch'' (2013) gave Thompson her second consecutive leading role, where she played half of a divorced couple who reunite to steal the man's ex-boss's diamond. In March 2014, she made her first stage appearance in 24 years – and her New York debut – in a Lincoln Center production of ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''. She appeared in the musical for five nights, and her "playful" performance of Mrs Lovett was highly praised; the critic Kayla Epstein wrote that she "not only held her own against more experienced vocalists, but wound up running off with the show". She received her sixth Primetime Emmy Award nomination, specifically for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for the televised performance. In 2014, Thompson provided the narration for Jason Reitman's comedy-drama film, ''Men, Women & Children (film), Men, Women & Children''.
The period drama ''Effie Gray (film), Effie Gray'', a project that she had been working on for many years, based on the true-life story of John Ruskin's disastrous marriage, was written by Thompson but became the subject of a copyright suit before being cleared for cinemas. The American playwright Gregory Murphy said that Thompson's screenplay was an infringement on his play and screenplay ''The Countess (play), The Countess'', which he claimed he had submitted to Thompson through a mutual friend in 2003 to consider the role of Elizabeth Eastlake in a proposed film of his play, and to Thompson's husband Greg Wise through a casting director to consider the role of John Ruskin in the play's 2005 West End production. In 2008, Thompson announced that she and Wise "had written a script together about John Ruskin, the Victorian art critic, which we want to make into a film." After meeting with Thompson and her producers, Potboiler Productions, Murphy was offered a screenwriting fee and co-screenwriting credit with Thompson in settlement of his claim. This settlement offer was later abandoned by Thompson, Greg Wise and their partner Donald Rosenfeld, when their company Sovereign Films took over production of the film and instigated the suit, creating the independent entity Effie Film, LLC, spearheaded by Rosenfeld, to litigate it. In March 2013, District Court Judge Thomas P. Griesa, after allowing Thompson to submit a second revised screenplay into evidence from which Murphy claimed "some of the most troubling material" had been removed, ruled that while there were similarities, the screenplays were "quite dissimilar in their two approaches to fictionalising the same historical events". In response to Murphy's attorney's concerns that the completed film ''Effie Gray'' would not adhere to Thompson's second revised screenplay, Judge Griesa concluded his ruling by saying that Thompson's film would not infringe Murphy's play or screenplay "only to the extent that it does not substantially deviate from the November 29, 2011 screenplay," the date of Thompson's second revised screenplay. In May 2013, ''Effie Gray's'' Cannes Film Festival premiere was cancelled. In October 2013, the film was withdrawn from the Mill Valley Film Festival in California due to "unforeseen circumstances" according to producer Rosenfeld. In December 2013, Thompson said of the still unreleased ''Effie Gray'' that its "time has probably passed," comparing it to another project of hers that "didn't happen either". ''Effie Gray'' was released in October 2014, to a modest reception. Thompson plays Elizabeth Eastlake and Greg Wise plays John Ruskin. They both declined to promote the film. Camilla Long, reviewing ''Effie Gray'' in ''The Sunday Times'', wrote "nothing fits together" and "no one seems to know why they made this film. Where is Thompson's passion and commitment, or any hint of what she intended to achieve." Manohla Dargis in her review in ''The New York Times'' called ''Effie Gray'' "The cinematic equivalent of a Brazilian wax, the movie omits much of the story's most interesting material to create something that's been smoothly denatured."
Thompson's first film of 2015 was ''A Walk in the Woods (film), A Walk in the Woods'', a comedy adapted from the book by Bill Bryson of which she co-starred with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. She next starred in ''The Legend of Barney Thomson''. Her role was a 77-year-old foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, Glaswegian former prostitute, the mother of the title character. Neither film was a critical success, although the latter received some positive reviews and ''Empire (magazine), Empire'' magazine wrote that Thomson was "unforgettable". Later that year, she had a supporting role in the restaurant-based film Burnt (film), ''Burnt''. In 2016, she starred in the World War II-drama ''Alone in Berlin (film), Alone in Berlin'', based on the story of Otto and Elise Hampel. She also co-wrote the screenplay for ''Bridget Jones's Baby'' and appeared in the film as a doctor.
In 2017, Thompson appeared in a supporting role as List of Disney's Beauty and the Beast characters#Mrs. Potts, Mrs. Potts (originally voiced by Angela Lansbury in the Beauty and the Beast (1991 film), 1991 animated film) in Disney's live-action adaptation of ''Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
'', directed by Bill Condon and starring her ''Harry Potter'' co-star Emma Watson in the leading role of Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Belle, alongside Dan Stevens as Beast (Disney), the Beast. The film received positive reviews and grossed $1.2billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing live-action musical film, the 2017 in film, second highest-grossing film of 2017, and the List of highest-grossing films, 17th highest-grossing film of all time.She also had a supporting role as a hippy in the Noah Baumbach-directed dramedy ''The Meyerowitz Stories'', which premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim. She followed it with a starring role in the film ''The Children Act (film), The Children Act'', a drama about a family who refuse cancer treatment for their son based on religious beliefs. She had a cameo role as Queen Elizabeth I in the 2017 Christmas special of the BBC sitcom ''Upstart Crow''. In 2018, she provided the voiceover for Greenpeace's palm-oil awareness commercial which Iceland (supermarket) picked to promote as their 2018 Christmas advertisement. The commercial was rejected by the advertising organisation Clearcast due to Greenpeace's alleged involvement in politics, thus violating their code of conduct. Also that year, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama. Thompson starred in the comedy-drama '' Late Night'' (2019), which was written by Mindy Kaling (who also co-starred in that film) and featured her as a popular television host who hires a new writer to keep the show from getting replaced. The film received positive reviews, with Thompson being singled out for praise, and Owen Gleiberman of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' remarked that "Thompson truly seems like a born talk-show host. Even when she's just riffing, she grounds ''Late Night'' in something real." She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. In the same year, she voiced as the Yeti Elder in the stop-motion animated film ''Missing Link (2019 film), Missing Link'', reprised her role as Agent O in a more substantial part in '' Men in Black: International'', and co-produced and co-starred alongside Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding in the festive romantic comedy ''Last Christmas (film), Last Christmas'', which was based on the Last Christmas, song of the same name by George Michael, and was written by Thompson, her husband Greg Wise, and Bryony Kimmings. In 2021, Thompson starred opposite Emma Stone as the Cruella de Vil, titular protagonist villain in '' Cruella'', a Disney live-action spin-off/reboot of ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', directed by Craig Gillespie, which was released on 28 May 2021 to positive reviews and has grossed $233million worldwide against its $100million budget.
She won praise from critics for the role of the Baroness with Alonso Duralde from ''The Wrap'' writing, "Thompson sinking every last tooth into a role that's half Miranda Priestly and half Phantom Thread, Reynolds Woodcock." In 2022, Thompson starred opposite Daryl McCormack in the sex comedy-drama '' Good Luck to You, Leo Grande'', written by Katy Brand and directed by Sophie Hyde.
Upcoming projects
Thompson plays the authoritarian headmistressMiss Trunchbull
Agatha Trunchbull, also known as Miss Trunchbull or simply The Trunchbull, the fictional headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School (or Elementary School), is the main antagonist in Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel ''Matilda'' and its spinoffs: the 199 ...
in the Matilda the Musical (film), film adaptation of ''Matilda the Musical'', which in turn is based on the Matilda (novel), novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. It is directed by Matthew Warchus, with a script written by Dennis Kelly and songs composed by Tim Minchin. Following its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on 5 October 2022, film critic Robbie Collin of ''The Telegraph'' wrote Thompson's portrayal of Trunchbull is "a deranged villain to remember". ''The Guardian'' critic Peter Bradshaw stated "the gleefully sly comedy kindred spirits of Thompson and Minchin come together to form the film’s bedrock of naughtiness". She will also be starring alongside Lily James and Sajal Aly in the romantic comedy ''What's Love Got to Do with It? (2022 film), What's Love Got to Do with It?''.
Reception and acting style
Thompson is regarded to be among the best actresses of her generation and one of Britain's most recognisable actresses, held in high regard within Hollywood. Early in her career, when she was closely associated with her first husband, Kenneth Branagh, she was considered a "wikt:luvvy, luvvy". The public warmed to her after the separation, and she became one of the key actresses of the 1990s. Her status has continued to grow; in 2008, journalist Sarah Sands stated that Thompson has improved with age and experience, and Mark Kermode said of her performances, "There is something about her which is — you just trust her. You just think 'I'm in proper hands here.' ... She's up there with the great, I mean really great, British female performers". Thompson is particularly known for playing reticent women, and Sands describes her as "the best actress of our times on suffering borne with poignant dignity". According to Kate Kellaway of ''The Guardian'', she specialises in playing "a good woman in a frock". She also plays many haughty characters, with a "bracing, nanny-like demeanour", but she is noted for her ability to win the empathy of audiences. Thompson belongs to a group of highly decorated British actresses includingJudi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
, Kate Winslet and Helena Bonham Carter who are known for appearing in "heritage films" and typically showing "restraint, rendering emotions through intellect rather than feelings, and a sense of irony, which demonstrates the heroine's superior understanding". Projecting a typically "British image", Thompson's often dogmatic and tight-jawed manner has also been compared to that of Maggie Smith.
With a background in comedy, Thompson's performances are typically delivered with an ironic touch. Ang Lee, director of ''Sense and Sensibility'', stated that Thompson's comedic approach may be her greatest asset as an actress, remarking, "Emma is an extremely funny lady. Like Austen, she's laughing at her own culture while she's a part of it." Thompson has stated that the "most moving things are often also funny, in life and in art" which is present in her film work. She often brings her real personality to her roles, and Kellaway believes that her lack of conventional beauty contributes to her likeability as an actress.
Writing
In 2012, Thompson wrote ''The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit'' as an addition to thePeter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit is a fictional animal character in various children's stories by English author Beatrix Potter.
A mischievous, adventurous young rabbit who wears a blue jacket, he first appeared in ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' in 1902, and subs ...
series by Beatrix Potter
Helen Beatrix Potter (, 28 July 186622 December 1943) was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' The Tale of Peter Rabbit'', which was ...
to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the publication of ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit''. She was approached by the publishers to write it, the first authorised Peter story since 1930 and the only one not written by Potter. The book falls in the middle of the earlier series, rather than at the end, and takes Peter Rabbit outside of Mr. McGregor's garden and into Scotland. It was a The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times'' Best Seller. In 2013, Thompson wrote a second book in the series titled ''The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit''. A third book, ''The Spectacular Tale of Peter Rabbit'', was released in 2014. In 2018, Thompson said she would like to write about "what it's like being human now".
Other work
In 2014, Thompson was among a group of influential British women, which included Annie Lennox and Rita Ora, to feature in the latest iteration of British retailer Marks & Spencer's 'Leading Ladies' marketing campaign.Personal life
Thompson has stated that she feels Scottish, saying: "not only because I am half Scottish but also because I've spent half my life [in Scotland]". She frequently returns to Scotland and visits Dunoon in Argyll and Bute. She owns a home nearby, on the shore of Loch Eck.
Relationships
Thompson's first husband was actor and directorKenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
, whom she met in 1987 while filming the television series '' Fortunes of War''. They married in 1989 and proceeded to appear in several films together, with Branagh often casting her in his own productions. Dubbed a "golden couple" by the British press, their relationship received substantial media coverage. The pair attempted to keep the relationship private, refusing to be interviewed or photographed together. Thompson and Branagh announced their separation in September 1995. They cited their work schedules as the reason, but it later emerged that he was having an affair with actress Helena Bonham Carter.
Thompson was living alone as her relationship with Branagh deteriorated, and became depressed. While filming ''Sense and Sensibility'' in 1995, she began a relationship with her co-star Greg Wise. Commenting on how she was able to overcome her depression, she stated, "Work saved me and Greg saved me. He picked up the pieces and put them together again." The couple have a daughter, Gaia, who was conceived via in vitro fertilisation when Thompson was 39.
Thompson and Wise married in Dunoon in 2003. The family's permanent residence is in the West Hampstead
West Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden in north-west London. Mainly defined by the railway stations of the same name, it is situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage ...
district of London, on the same road as her childhood home. Also in 2003, Thompson and her husband informally adopted a Rwandan orphan and former child soldier named Tindyebwa Agaba. They met at a Refugee Council event when he was sixteen, and she invited him to spend Christmas at their home. "Slowly", Thompson has commented, "he became a sort of permanent fixture, came on holiday to Scotland with us, became part of the family." Agaba became a British citizen in 2009.
On 28 February 2020, Thompson and her husband were sworn in as honorary citizens of Venice and became legal Domicile (law), residents of Italy as a result. The couple had previously purchased a house in the city and indicated their intention to relocate to Italy permanently. They retain a home in West Hampstead.
Views and activism
Thompson has said of her religious views: She is Social liberalism, politically liberal and a supporter of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party; she told the BBC ''Andrew Marr Show'' in 2010 that she had been a member of the party "all my life". Thompson endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's 2015 Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party leadership campaign, campaign in both the 2015 Labour Party leadership election (UK), 2015 and 2016 Labour Party leadership election (UK), 2016 Labour Party leadership elections. She has also expressed support for the Women's Equality Party. Thompson has been a campaigner since her youth. Since becoming a public figure she has regularly voiced her views and been involved in many issues, prompting criticism that she is overly outspoken. She has justified her assertiveness by saying, "[W]hat I feel is that we all need to speak up and a woman who has got a louder voice needs to shout very loudly indeed."
She is particularly active in human rights work. She is chair of the Helen Bamber#Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture, Helen Bamber Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, a patron of the Refugee Council, and has a therapy room in her office for traumatised refugees. Thompson is also an activist for Palestinian people, Palestinians, having been a member of the British-based ENOUGH! coalition that seeks to end the "Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank". She is a patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and in 2009 ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine named her a "European Hero" in recognition of "her work to highlight the plight of AIDS sufferers in Africa".
Thompson is also an active environmentalist. She is a supporter of Greenpeace, and in January 2009, as part of her campaign against climate change, she and three other members of the organisation bought land near the village of Sipson to deter the building of a Expansion of Heathrow Airport, third runway for Heathrow Airport. In August 2014, Thompson and her daughter, Gaia, went on a Greenpeace "Save the Arctic" expedition to raise awareness of the dangers of Petroleum exploration in the Arctic, drilling for oil. She narrated The Real News Network's ''The Doubt Machine: Inside the Koch Brothers' War on Climate Science'', a documentary short about Koch Industries and its efforts to discredit climate research. The film was released on 31 October 2016. In 2019, she supported the London Extinction Rebellion rally against climate change, although she received some criticism for having flown to attend it. She is also an ambassador for the Galapagos Conservation Trust.
In 2010, Thompson criticised people who use "sloppy language." Speaking with the ''Radio Times'' she said, "I went to give a talk at my old school and the girls were all doing their 'likes' and 'innits?' and 'it ain'ts', which drives me insane. I told them 'Just don't do it. Because it makes you sound stupid and you're not stupid. There is the necessity to have two languages – one that you use with your mates and the other that you need in any official capacity."
References
Further reading
* * * *External links
* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Emma Emma Thompson, 1959 births Living people 20th-century British actresses 20th-century British women writers 21st-century British actresses 21st-century British women writers Actresses awarded British damehoods Actresses from London Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge Anglo-Scots Audiobook narrators Best Actress Academy Award winners Best Actress BAFTA Award winners Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Best Screenplay Golden Globe winners British atheists British environmentalists British women environmentalists British feminist writers British film actresses British musical theatre actresses British screenwriters British Shakespearean actresses British stage actresses British television actresses British voice actresses British women comedians British women screenwriters Critics of religions Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of Newnham College, Cambridge HIV/AIDS activists Individualist feminists Labour Party (UK) people People associated with Argyll and Bute People educated at Camden School for Girls Primetime Emmy Award winners Scottish atheists Writers from London Writers Guild of America Award winners British radio actresses 20th-century atheists 21st-century atheists