Dame Emma Thompson (born April 15, 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. Regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over four decades, including two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2018, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.
Born to actors Eric Thompson and Phyllida Law, Thompson was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge, where she became a member of the Footlights troupe, and appeared in the comedy sketch series Alfresco (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 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, in films such as Henry V (1989), Dead Again (1991), and Much Ado About Nothing (1993).
For her performance in the Merchant-Ivory period drama Howards End (1992), Thompson won the BAFTA Award and the Academy Award for Best Actress. 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 and a lawyer in In the Name of the Father, becoming one of the few actors to achieve this feat. Thompson wrote and starred in Sense and Sensibility (1995), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay—making her the only person in history to win Oscars for both acting and writing—and once again won the BAFTA. Further critical acclaim came for her roles in Primary Colors (1998), Love Actually (2003), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Late Night (2019), and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022).
Other notable film credits include the Harry Potter series (2004–2011), Nanny McPhee (2005), Stranger than Fiction (2006), An Education (2009), Men in Black 3 (2012) and the spin-off Men in Black: International (2019), Brave (2012), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Cruella (2021), and Matilda the Musical (2022). Her television credits include Wit (2001), Angels in America (2003), The Song of Lunch (2010), King Lear (2018) and Years and Years (2019). Authorised by the publishers of Beatrix Potter, Thompson has also written three Peter Rabbit children's books.
2026
2025
as Dr. Rawlings
2024
as Self
2023
as Cath
2022
as Self
2022
as Agatha Trunchbull
2022
as Self
2022
as Nancy Stokes
2022
as Lady Marcham
2021
as Self
2021
as The Baroness
2021
as Self (archive footage)
2020
as Amanda
2020
as Poly (voice)
2019
as Petra Andrich
2019
2019
as Self
2019
as Agent O
2019
as Vivienne Rook
2019
as Dora the Yeti Elder (voice)
2019
as Katherine Newbury
2018
as Prime Minister
2018
as Self (archive footage)
2018
as Narrator (voice)
2018
as Fiona Maye
2018
as Goneril
2017
as Self
2017
as Maureen Meyerowitz
2017
as Mrs. Potts
2016
as Elle-Même
2016
as Narrator (voice)
2016
as Dr. Rawlings
2016
as Queen Elizabeth I
2016
as Anna Quangel
2015
as Narrator (voice)
2015
as Dr. Rosshilde
2015
as Catherine Bryson
2015
as Cemolina
2015
as Debbie
2014
as Narrator (voice)
2014
as Mrs. Lovett
2014
as Lady Eastlake
2014
as Self (archive footage)
2014
as Self
2014
as Kate Jones
2013
as P.L. Travers
2013
as Mrs. Lincoln / Sarafine Duchannes
2012
as Elinor (voice)
2012
as The Queen
2012
as Agent O
2011
as Self
2011
as Sybill Trelawney
2010
as Self
2010
as She
2010
as Nanny McPhee
2009
as Headmistress
2009
as Charlotte
2008
as Kate Walker
2008
as Lady Marchmain
2007
as Dr. Alice Krippin
2007
as Self
2007
as Sybill Trelawney
2006
as Karen Eiffel
2005
as Lesa (voice)
2005
as Self (archive footage)
2005
as Nanny McPhee
2005
as Self
2004
as Sybill Trelawney
2003
as Homeless Woman / The Angel
2003
as Cecilia Rueda
2003
as Karen
2002
as Captain Amelia (voice)
2002
as self
2001
as Self
2001
as Vivian Bearing
2001
as Self
2001
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as Druscilla
1998
as Self
1998
as FBI Agent Sadie Hawkins
1998
as Susan Stanton
1997
as Frances
1997
as Elephant Woman
1996
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as Elinor Dashwood
1995
as Dora Carrington
1994
as Dr. Diana Reddin
1994
as Marie Bonnar
1994
as Isabel (uncredited)
1993
as Gareth Peirce
1993
as Miss Kenton
1993
as Beatrice
1992
as Maggie Chester
1992
as Margaret Schlegel
1991
as Narrator (voice)
1991
as Margaret Strauss / Grace
1991
as Duchess D'Antan
1989
as Alison Porter
1989
as Katherine
1989
as Catherine Winslow
1989
as Kate
1988
as Self - Host
1987
as Harriet Pringle
1987
as Suzi Kettles
1984
as Young Woman
1983
as Jackie Meld / Various Roles
1983
as Various
1982
as Miss Money-Sterling
1982
as Young Woman
1982
as Various
1982
as Nanny Gee
1982
as various
1977
1953
as Self
as Narrator
as Self
as Zoë Boehm