Emma Thompson

Biography:

Dame Emma Thompson is a British actress and playwright who was born on April 15, 1959. She has received two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globes, and a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance on stage and television over the course of more than 40 years. In recognition of her contributions to theater, Queen Elizabeth II named her a dame in 2018. Born to performers Eric Thompson and Phyllida Law, Thompson attended Newnham College in Cambridge for her education. There, she joined the Footlights ensemble and made appearances in the comedic sketch series Alfresco (1983–1984). Her career took a significant turn in 1985 when she performed in the West End production of the musical Me and My Girl.

She gained notoriety in 1987 for her roles in the BBC shows Tutti Frutti and Fortunes of War, for which she was awarded the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress. She frequently worked on movies like Henry V (1989), Dead Again (1991), and Much Ado About Nothing (1993) with her then-husband, actor and director Kenneth Branagh, in the early 1990s.