Emma Thompson
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.
Acted in
Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie
2026
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
2025
as Dr. Rawlings
Merchant Ivory
2024
as Self
What's Love Got to Do with It?
2023
as Cath
The Laughter & Secrets of 'Love Actually': 20 Years Later
2022
as Self
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
2022
as Agatha Trunchbull
The Fringe, Fame and Me
2022
as Self
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
2022
as Nancy Stokes
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
2022
as Lady Marcham
An Audience with Adele
2021
as Self
Cruella
2021
as The Baroness
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
2021
as Self (archive footage)
How to Build a Girl
2020
as Amanda
Dolittle
2020
as Poly (voice)
Last Christmas
2019
as Petra Andrich
Extinction
2019
Hollywood's Dark Secret
2019
as Self
Men in Black: International
2019
as Agent O
Years and Years
2019
as Vivienne Rook
Missing Link
2019
as Dora the Yeti Elder (voice)
Late Night
2019
as Katherine Newbury
Johnny English Strikes Again
2018
as Prime Minister
Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Greenpeace: There's a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom
2018
as Narrator (voice)
The Children Act
2018
as Fiona Maye
King Lear
2018
as Goneril
Sea Sorrow
2017
as Self
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
2017
as Maureen Meyerowitz
Beauty and the Beast
2017
as Mrs. Potts
Die vielen Gesichter der Emma Thompson
2016
as Elle-Même
To the Ends of the Earth
2016
as Narrator (voice)
Bridget Jones's Baby
2016
as Dr. Rawlings
Upstart Crow
2016
as Queen Elizabeth I
Alone in Berlin
2016
as Anna Quangel
Sainsbury's: Mog's Christmas Calamity
2015
as Narrator (voice)
Burnt
2015
as Dr. Rosshilde
A Walk in the Woods
2015
as Catherine Bryson
The Legend of Barney Thomson
2015
as Cemolina
Funny Valentines
2015
as Debbie
Men, Women & Children
2014
as Narrator (voice)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
2014
as Mrs. Lovett
Effie Gray
2014
as Lady Eastlake
And the Oscar Goes To...
2014
as Self (archive footage)
The Real Mary Poppins
2014
as Self
The Love Punch
2014
as Kate Jones
Saving Mr. Banks
2013
as P.L. Travers
Beautiful Creatures
2013
as Mrs. Lincoln / Sarafine Duchannes
Brave
2012
as Elinor (voice)
Walking the Dogs
2012
as The Queen
Men in Black 3
2012
as Agent O
When Harry Left Hogwarts
2011
as Self
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2011
as Sybill Trelawney
Fry and Laurie Reunited
2010
as Self
The Song of Lunch
2010
as She
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
2010
as Nanny McPhee
An Education
2009
as Headmistress
The Boat That Rocked
2009
as Charlotte
Last Chance Harvey
2008
as Kate Walker
Brideshead Revisited
2008
as Lady Marchmain
I Am Legend
2007
as Dr. Alice Krippin
Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out
2007
as Self
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2007
as Sybill Trelawney
Stranger Than Fiction
2006
as Karen Eiffel
Hoodwinked!
2005
as Lesa (voice)
A Tribute To Ismail Merchant
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Nanny McPhee
2005
as Nanny McPhee
Nos Bastidores de Hollywood
2005
as Self
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2004
as Sybill Trelawney
Angels in America
2003
as Nurse Emily / Homeless Woman / The Angel
Imagining Argentina
2003
as Cecilia Rueda
Love Actually
2003
as Karen
Treasure Planet
2002
as Captain Amelia (voice)
Timeshift
2002
as self
Love & Loyalty: The Making of 'The Remains of the Day'
2001
as Self
Wit
2001
as Vivian Bearing
Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honor: England's Fatal Flaw
2001
as Self
The Remains of the Day: The Filmmaker's Journey
2001
as Self
Maybe Baby
2000
as Druscilla
Junket Whore
1998
as Self
Judas Kiss
1998
as FBI Agent Sadie Hawkins
Primary Colors
1998
as Susan Stanton
The Winter Guest
1997
as Frances
Hospital!
1997
as Elephant Woman
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Sense and Sensibility
1995
as Elinor Dashwood
Carrington
1995
as Dora Carrington
Junior
1994
as Dr. Diana Reddin
The Blue Boy
1994
as Marie Bonnar
My Father the Hero
1994
as Isabel (uncredited)
In the Name of the Father
1993
as Gareth Peirce
The Remains of the Day
1993
as Miss Kenton
Much Ado About Nothing
1993
as Beatrice
Peter's Friends
1992
as Maggie Chester
Howards End
1992
as Margaret Schlegel
Rabbit Ears - The White Cat
1991
as Narrator (voice)
Dead Again
1991
as Margaret Strauss / Grace
Impromptu
1991
as Duchess D'Antan
Look Back in Anger
1989
as Alison Porter
Henry V
1989
as Katherine
The Winslow Boy
1989
as Catherine Winslow
The Tall Guy
1989
as Kate
Thompson
1988
as Self - Host
Fortunes of War
1987
as Harriet Pringle
Tutti Frutti
1987
as Suzi Kettles
Slags
1984
as Young Woman
The Crystal Cube
1983
as Jackie Meld / Various Roles
Alfresco
1983
as Various
The Young Ones
1982
as Miss Money-Sterling
The Comic Strip Presents...
1982
as Young Woman
There's Nothing to Worry About!
1982
as Various
Cheers
1982
as Nanny Gee
The Cellar Tapes
1982
as various
The Val Doonican Music Show
1977
The Oscars
1953
as Self
How to Stop a Nuclear War
as Narrator
The Fisherwoman
James Ivory: In Search of Love and Beauty
as Self
Down Cemetery Road
as Zoë Boehm