Celebrity biographies
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20.06.16 10:44
Looking at an eccentric nurse vigorously having sex with a friend (in an episode of a second-rate comedy), no one would have thought that before him was the future pride of British cinema, who would become famous for the roles of reserved, wise ladies, write talented scripts and receive two Oscars. That film (“Big Man”) was the beginning of Emma Thompson’s film biography.
Biography of Emma Thompson
Daughter of actors and punk rocker
British actress, comedian and writer Emma Thompson was born on April 15, 1959 in the family of a Scottish woman, Phyllida Law, and an Englishman, Eric Thompson. Emma's mother and father were actors - she acted on TV and in films, he was passionate about the theater. It is gratifying that both daughters of the couple followed the example of their parents and became actresses (Sophie is three years younger than Emma).
Emma Thompson's biography began in London - she was born in the central district of the capital Paddington, studied at Camden Girls' School, and during the holidays spent a lot of time with her grandparents in Scotland. From a young age, Emma loved to read, inheriting this passion from her father, and in 1977 she became a student at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. Thompson wanted to look like a “punk rocker”, dyed her short hair red and dreamed of a career as a comedian, her example was the American actress Lily Tomlin.
Emma Talented
In Cambridge, Emma was invited to join the university's prestigious comedy troupe - she became the first woman in Footlights. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, who became the future actress's first romantic interest, played on stage with Thompson. Fry recalls that there was no doubt that Emma would go far. Her nickname among her friends in the troupe was “Emma the Talented.” In 1980, she became vice-president of Rampa and co-director of the women's revue. Soon Emma's team won an award at the Edinburgh Festival.
A bold film appearance
In 1982, Emma's father passed away - Eric was only 52 years old, he died suddenly due to circulatory problems. The actress says that this misfortune “torn the family into pieces.” At the same time, Thompson received her first professional role in the theater and began starring in the television comedy “Nothing to Worry About!” (along with Laurie and Fry). Three years later, Emma performed on the West End in the musical “Me and My Girl”: she played Sally Smith for 15 months, which exhausted the actress.
A breakthrough in Emma Thompson's creative biography was the mini-series "Fortune of War", for her role in which she received a British Academy Television Award. And the rom-com “The Brute” became her film debut, in this film Emma played along with Jeff Goldblum. He portrayed a West End star, and she portrayed a nurse with whom the hero falls in love. Thompson's nude scene was a bold move, but the performer received high praise: The New York Times critic called Emma a "versatile comic actress."
Together with Branagh
In 1989, another film with Thompson's participation was released - she played Princess Catherine in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's play Henry V, directed by Kenneth Branagh (who became the actress's husband). American writer James Monaco said that in 1990, with the instigation of Thompson and Branagh, the “British cinematic onslaught” began. Emma played in Kenneth's productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "King Lear", and in the film work "Die Again" her wife portrayed a woman who had lost her memory. The thriller topped the American box office for two weeks.
Prestigious awards: in Avory melodramas
When director James Ivory was planning to make a film based on Forster's novel Howard's End, Emma wrote to him that she wanted to participate in this project. Ivory agreed to the audition and gave Thompson the role of Margaret, an idealistic intellectual who comes into conflict with her conservative family. The drama won three Oscars (it was nominated for nine). The statuette for Best Actress went to Thompson. In addition, she was awarded the Golden Globe and BAFTA.
Emma continued to work with Branagh (the comedy Much Ado About Nothing), and in 1993 she again starred with Ivory in the melodrama At the End of the Day. The film about the sudden love of a middle-aged, sedate butler (Anthony Hopkins) for a new housekeeper received eight Oscar nominations, and Thompson was again nominated for the award. This was Emma’s second nomination in 1994 (the actress was also nominated for her supporting role in the drama “In the Name of the Father”).
Hollywood debut and Oscar for screenplay
In 1994, Emma made her Hollywood debut playing doctor Diana Reddin in the comedy Junior with Schwarzenegger and DeVito. At that time, Thompson was finishing work on the film script based on Austen’s novel “Sense and Sensibility” (it took the British woman almost five years). Ang Lee's melodrama with the same name was released in 1995; Emma took on the role of the girl Elinor Dashwood, although she was 16 years older than the character (her sister Marianne was played by Kate Winslet). The movie received good reviews; it is one of the highest-grossing films in the actress’s career. Thompson received an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her screenplay, and a BAFTA award for her acting.
The best cry in cinema history
The political thriller “Primary Colors” (in which John Travolta played the unfaithful wife of the US president, and Emma - the deceived spouse, the story was reminiscent of the scandal with Bill Clinton) failed at the box office, despite good predictions from critics. But the romantic comedy by Richard Curtis “Love Actually” became one of the most striking film works of the British woman. She again played a wife who suspects her husband (Alan Rickman) of cheating. The scene in which Karen breaks down and bursts into sobs was called "the best crying ever shown on screen."
The HBO mini-series Angels in America, in which Emma starred alongside Meryl Streep and Al Pacino, was a great success. The show focused on the AIDS epidemic during the Reagan era. For three small roles (a nurse, a homeless woman and an angel), Thompson was nominated for an Emmy Award. And soon the British woman joined the star performing group of “Potter” films, portraying the eccentric teacher Sybil (Sibyl) Trelawney in the film “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”. It’s very difficult to recognize Thompson behind the makeup and big glasses! Sybil later returned in The Order of the Phoenix and the second part of Deathly Hallows. The actress called filming this fantasy “a lot of fun.”
Ugly Nanny: A 9 Year Journey
In Emma Thompson’s biography, the film “Nanny Horde” occupies a special place: “The project took nine years to complete - that’s how long it took from the time I read the original book to the moment we found ourselves at the premiere.”
The mysterious ugly nanny, who must discipline the seven children of the widower Brown (Colin Firth), was played by Emma herself - with every good deed of the pupils, some trait spoiling the old woman’s appearance disappeared, and, in the end, a young woman shining with kindness appeared before the audience. Thompson herself wrote the script for the film. Later, a fantasy sequel was filmed, in which nanny McPhee helped another family (during the Second World War).
The new Judi Dench
The melodrama “Return to Bricehead” was not very praised, but about Thompson’s performance it was said: “Emma becomes the new Judi Dench - as a person who comes for 15 minutes of the film and lights up everything around her. After she left, watching movies is no longer interesting.” In 2012, the British woman returned to Hollywood to play the head of an alien control agency (Agent O) in the blockbuster Men in Black 3.
Meryl Streep is shocked
The actress's next role made one journalist write: "Emma Thompson returns, hitting all the targets at once." This time she portrayed the author of the Mary Poppins novels, Pamela Travers, who is doing her best to prevent the film adaptation of her book. Walt Disney, who persuaded the shrew, played. Emma recalls: “It was the best script I’ve read in recent years, and the most difficult role in my career - I’ve never played such a contradictory personality. But the work turned out to be a real pleasure!” The biopic Saving Mr. Banks was only nominated for one Oscar, for the soundtrack. stated: “I was shocked when I saw that Emma was not on the list of nominees for best actress!”
Thompson will appear in the comedy Bridget Jones 3, which will be released at the end of 2016, and in 2017 we will see her in the fantasy Beauty and the Beast.
Emma Thompson's personal life
Romance with Dr. House and the golden couple
Emma's student romance with Hugh Laurie did not end in marriage - the artists simply remained friends and still maintain a warm relationship.
Emma's first husband was actor and director Kenneth Branagh, whom she met in 1987 on the set of Fortune of War. They married in 1989, after which Thompson took part in several of Branagh's films. In the British media they were called the “golden couple”; it seemed that Emma Thompson’s personal life was cloudless.
This couple rarely gave interviews and did not like photo shoots, trying to maintain the privacy of family relationships. When they announced their divorce in the fall of 1995, the press wrote that their work schedule was to blame; the spouses were not often together. It was later revealed that Kenneth had fallen in love with Helena Bonham Carter, who starred in his film Frankenstein.
Collected the pieces
The breakup had a hard impact on Thompson - she experienced clinical depression. But during the filming of Sense and Sensibility, Emma met Greg Wise, who played one of the roles. In an interview, the actress admitted: “Work saved me from depression. And Greg saved. He took the pieces of what was left of me and put them together." Wise is 7 years younger than Emma. In 1999, the 39-year-old actress gave birth to a daughter, Gaia. Pregnancy was achieved through IVF. Greg and Emma tried to become parents again, but three years of IVF were unsuccessful.
The actors' wedding took place in 2003 in Scotland. They live in West Hampstead (London), next to Emma's father's house. Also in 2003, the couple unofficially adopted 16-year-old Rwandan orphan and former child soldier Tindiebua Agaba into the family.
They met at a refugee event and Emma invited him to spend Christmas at their home. In 2009, Tindy became a British citizen.
Greg Wise, 2013
- Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne [d], Tyne and Wear, Great Britain
Biography
Born in Newcastle, into a family of architects. He was educated at St Peter's School in York. Entered the University. Hariot and Watt, where he studied architecture following the example of his parents. Later he moved to the Edinburgh University Theater Company. Having decided on his future profession, he entered the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama as a dramatic actor.
Career
Greg's career began with soap operas and television projects, and he gained fame thanks to the BBC mini-series "Edith Wharton's Beauties", where, in addition to Wise, Carla Gugino, Mira Sorvino, Sienna Guillory and Mark Tandy took part. In the same year, he appeared on screens in the costume films “The Last Summer of Love” and “Sense and Sensibility,” winning the sympathy of not only the English-speaking, but also the world audience.
In the future, Wise’s acting career can be called smooth and even, without any noticeable breakdowns or failures. In 2010, Greg Wise tried his hand at producing the film The Lunch Song, starring Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman.
Personal life
On the set of Sense and Sensibility he met actress Emma Thompson. After living in a civil marriage for several years, the artists got married in 2003. Emma is 7 years older than her husband. They have a daughter, Gaia (born 1999). In 2003, the couple adopted a boy named Tindiebua Agabu.
In 2016, the actor's sister Claire Wise died at the age of 51. The cause of death was cancer. Greg was with his sister at the time of her death. “I wiped Claire’s face. I held her hand. I kissed her forehead. I said I love her. I said how incredible it was that we were both there, and now everything was gone. I told her she didn't need to worry, that I had everything figured out. I told her she could leave now if she wanted." - says the actor.
On February 15, 2018, the book “Not That Kind of Love” was published - a joint work of brother and sister.
Selected filmography
| Year | Russian name | original name | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| With | Covington Cross | Covington Cross | Henry | |
| f | Mind and Feelings | Sense and Sensibility | John Willoughby | |
| With | Tales from the Crypt | Tales from the Crypt | Justin Amberson | |
| f | Frankenstein's house | House of Frankenstein | Crispin Grimes | |
| tf | Alice in the Wonderland | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Red Knight | |
| f | Kiss of Judas | Judas Kiss | Ben Dyson | |
| tf | Madame Bovary | Madame Bovary | Rodolfo | |
| f | Agent Johnny English | Johnny English | Agent #1 | |
| f | Area of five moons | Piazza delle cinque lune | Francesco Doni | |
| f | Tristram Shandy: The Story of a Cock and a Bull | A Cock and Bull Story | Greg | |
| f | Baby Bobby | Greyfriars Bobby | Minister Lee | |
8 chosen
Tomorrow she will be able to amaze her Russian fans by appearing on cinema screens in the comedy How to steal a diamond(2013), where her partner will be an impeccable ladies' man Pierce Brosnan. Of course, there can be no talk of any “office romance” between these two professionals, despite the fact that they play a couple in love. Besides, she found her man a long time ago, having gone a long way to find Love...
They... It cannot be said that there were many of them. But each one left a mark on her soul. And he also turned out to be a good friend after...
She...
Emma born on April 15 in Paddington, London. The family was creative, acting and directing: mother was a leading Scottish actress, father was a writer and host of a children's television show, and the older sister also became an actress. Even Emma’s godfather had a direct connection to the theater - he was director and writer Ronald Eyre.
Emma studied at Samden Girls' School, but spent most of her childhood in Scotland, regularly visiting relatives on her mother's side.
The girl was fascinated by literature, native and foreign languages. Therefore, immediately after school I went to enroll in the English department at Cambridge. It should be noted that despite all the seriousness of her aspirations to study, Emma did not doubt for a second that she would become an actress. Studying at the university was just a pleasant, interesting stage of development, education and replenishment of my knowledge, which in the future could be applied in the profession.
Her student years became the very platform on which her desires and views were formed. In the late 1970s, she was fascinated by the feminist movement - Emma shaved her head bald and wore awkward unisex clothes. There, within the walls of the university, she developed a taste for public speaking and met two incredibly talented guys - Stephen Fry And Hugh Laurie, who accepted her into their “gang” of comedians, and Hugh... Hugh became one of her first lovers, with whom she began a long-term serious relationship...
Hugh Laurie...
James Hugh Calman born 11 June 1959 in Oxford. He was the youngest of four children of the Laurie couple - a doctor and a housewife.
Hugh studied at various schools, including the prestigious elementary school at Eton. He attended the Scottish Presbyterian Church and was preparing to enter the University of Cambridge at the Faculty of Anthropology and Archeology (which he subsequently graduated with a bachelor's degree).
Perhaps the world would never have known about Hugh’s acting abilities if not for his forced release from physical education due to infectious mononucleosis.
To keep himself busy, Hugh began attending a drama school, where he met first Stephen Fry, and later Her... It’s impossible to say exactly how long their romance lasted - they were young, talented, full of plans. And everyone definitely had their own path in life. But after graduating from university, they continue to remain good friends to this day...
Kenneth Branagh...
Future Sir Kenneth Charles born on December 10, 1960 in Belfast (Northern Ireland) in the family of a carpenter. Having moved to the south of England, he, like many school-age children, fell into the spotlight of his classmates... But not because of his outstanding achievements, but because of his banal Irish accent, which became a reason for ridicule. The young man had to make a lot of efforts to get rid of him.
Actually, it was at school that Kenneth first became involved with the theater and began participating in amateur productions. And having received a certificate of secondary education, he entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which he graduated with the Bancroft Gold Medal - an award for brilliant academic achievements.
His professional acting career began immediately after graduation - in 1981. First it was television, then - towards the end of the 1980s - his film debut. And also the directorial debut, which became a real triumph for Kenneth - the film Henry V(1989).
In it he acted as a screenwriter, adapting Shakespeare's play, played the main role, and also...Met Her...
That same year - on August 20 - Emma and Kenneth were legally married and lived together for almost six years.
Greg Wise...
Matthew Gregory born on May 15, 1966 in Newcastle (England) into the family of an architect. Actually, his plans were to follow in his father’s footsteps and realize himself in the same profession.
After school Greg went to university Heriot-Watt University to the Faculty of Architecture. But, as often happens, the student years can completely change our understanding of life and our future. This is what happened with Greg. He developed a love for theater and entered the University of Edinburgh University Theater Company, and then moved to Glasgow to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Emma Thompson is an absolutely stunning woman; it seems that she can do absolutely everything: organically get used to Shakespeare’s plays and romantic comedies, raise children and write wonderful books for them, speak fluent Spanish and French, develop scripts for TV series.According to many publications, she is included in the category of the greatest actresses of all time: in her bathroom (!) she collected all sorts of prestigious film awards (Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy) and is not going to stop only with these victories.
Emma, childhood and family: cloudless skies over all of Britain
Emma Thompson's life is by no means the story of Cinderella, who had to get out of extreme poverty. Emma was born into a respectable family, closely connected with the world of cinema, show business and art in general.The daughter of the Scottish actress Phyllida Law and the popular English presenter and producer Eric Thompson saw the world in April 1959. Her younger sister Sophia Thompson also became a fairly successful actress. Interestingly, mother Phyllida repeatedly appeared in films with Emma. They all live on the same street and maintain close communication. In an interview in 2010, the actress talked about the huge role her family played in her life.
Thompson argues that “the family as the center of everything is far from being a matter of blood relationship, but of an unbreakable bond that forever unites people whose roots are intertwined. And the larger the family, the more this connection strengthens.” Emma grew up in a friendly and cozy environment; during her school years she was very popular with her peers, and her early youth was not overshadowed by conflicts with her family.
The Birth of the Rebel Comedian
Emma Thompson entered the University of Cambridge to study English literature. It was then that a turning point occurred in the girl’s creation, which simultaneously led her to feminism, punk rock youth and theater. The actress describes it this way: “I used to read a lot of Victorian novels. When I opened the book The Madwoman in the Attic, which described women writers of that time, I realized how difficult it was for them, how they had to disguise themselves in order to be heard, and it completely changed me and my life.”Emma shared feminist beliefs, dyed her short hair red and began riding around the city on a motorcycle. And for the first time, she had a dream of becoming a female comedian, like her idol Lily Tomlin. Emma began acting in the university's Footlights Group, which at one time served as the cradle for many members of the outstanding British comedy group Monty Python.
Thompson played in the same productions with Hugh Laurie, with whom she had a romantic relationship. Laurie remembers this period as “a time of carefree happiness, when Emma was like the Sun, the wind, some kind of irresistible element, whose talent is immeasurable.” In 1980, she took part in the creation of the first women's production, “The Time of Women,” and, together with the Footlights troupe, won many theater festivals.
The heart was so hardened
In 1982, the actress’s not-so-old father died, and this tragic event changed a lot in the young girl. Emma recalls: “I can’t tell you how much I grieve for him, how sorry I am that he’s not around. On the other hand, I understand that if everything had not happened like this, he was alive, I would never have had the courage to do what I did. I inherited incredible strength from him.”Emma becomes a successful theater actress, playing in comedy sketches and Shakespearean plays, and takes her first steps on television. She organized the successful comedy program Outdoors, and also tried herself as an actress in BBC historical series. U
Her participation in two mini-series was rushed. In the project “The Vicissitudes of War” she played with her future husband: Kenneth Branagh, head of the Renaissance theater company, often appeared with her on stage and on screen. The black comedy “Tutti Frutti” also did not go unnoticed. As a result, these two roles brought Emma her first serious awards - she became the best actress according to the British Film Academy.
Emma Thompson: appearance in big cinema, filmography
Emma's role in the romantic comedy "The Tall Guy" was not brilliant, but it was she who made many publications talk about the young star. So The New York Times called her "an outstanding all-around comedic actress." Emma Thompson continued to play in her husband's Shakespearean productions - King Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and King Lear.Saving Mr. Banks - Emma Thompson
In 1991, she played a "crazy, stupid aristocrat" in the film Impromptu, on which Thompson worked with Hugh Grant and Judy Davis. That same year, she starred in her husband’s noir film, playing the role of a woman who had forgotten her identity. Emma increasingly appeared on screens “on the other side of the ocean”, playing in American projects. The turning point of her career: working with Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter on the drama Howards End.
Using the example of three families, this film acutely showed the class society of England at the beginning of the 20th century. The role of Emma is an educated, far-sighted woman who somewhat idealizes the world. Reviews of Thompson’s acting were more than positive: they wrote that she “found herself in this role” and created an amazing character: “quiet, ironic, observant with a core of steel inside.” For this film, the actress received an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award, and “world success fell upon her like an avalanche.”
After this, Emma appeared in the film Peter's Friends, the cast of which included Cambridge graduates: Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, Tony Slattery.
In 1993, she again appeared on screen with Anthony Hopkins in The Remains of the Day, which was nominated for 8 Oscars. The drama about the period between two world warriors opens up the problems of loneliness, love, devotion. This story is about an ideal butler who dissolved his life in serving his master. It was the problem of “servility, subordinating oneself to someone else’s will” that particularly interested Emma; she still calls her role in “The Remains of the Day” “the most amazing experience of my career.”
The actress became the eighth actress in film history to receive two Oscar nominations in one year. Thompson could have won her second prize for her outstanding film “In the Name of the Father.” In 1994, Emma continued to work in Hollywood, appearing in the film Junior, which also starred Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger in an unexpected comedy role.
Thompson begins to lose interest in commercial projects and returns to independent films. The drama "Carrington" about the platonic feelings of a mature writer and a young artist gave Emma the opportunity to receive the US National Board of Film Critics Award for "best portrayal of an unrequited woman in love."
Emma Thompson in the film Sense and Sensibility
The film Sense and Sensibility made Emma Thompson the first person to be nominated for an Oscar for both best acting and best screenplay. For five years she worked on adapting Jane Austen's novel for film. In addition, 36-year-old Emma brilliantly played the heroine, who was 19 years old according to the script, receiving an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award for this film. Dozens of roles followed: Thompson appeared in the films “The Winter Guest,” “Primary Colors,” “The Kiss of Judas,” “Love Actually,” shocking film critics with “subtle, aristocratic acting and a large portion of excellent self-irony.” Emma Thompson and the Prisoner of AzkabanAccording to the actress, she played Professor Trelawney in one of the parts of the Pottery series solely for the sake of her daughter. She found working on the film not interesting enough due to the fact that some of the live interaction between the actors was replaced by computer animation. At the same time, Emma admits: “The best actors play in the Harry Potter films, and if I hadn’t been invited, I would have been offended.”
My Scary Nanny - Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson spent more than 9 years preparing the script for the family comedy Nanny. She gives a very unusual description of this film, released in 2005: “This is a classic Western. A stranger from out of town appears in a closed world and resolves its internal conflicts. Only here it’s not a cowboy or a sheriff, but a nanny.”Trailer for the film with Emma Thompson Nanny 2
Emma Thompson currently
The actress continued to actively act in films, appearing in the films “Rock Wave”, “Beautiful Creatures” and “Saving Mr. Banks” - in this film she played in a stunning duet with Tom Hanks. What's next? Many scripts and many brilliant pictures. Emma says about herself: “I have periods of active work, and then there is a decline. But every empty cell in my diary is like a hole in my head. I can’t help but work.”Emma Thompson is happy that she is not only an actress, but also a screenwriter and writer. She published the children's book “The New Tales of Peter Rabbit” - a continuation of the fairy tales of Beatrix Potter. According to Emma, “Children's stories draw wisdom from ancient myths, which in turn from more archaic cultures, which is why creating children's literature is so complex and exciting.”
Personal life, views and beliefs of Emma Thompson
The actress's first husband was actor and director Kenneth Branagh. They started a family in 1989 and separated in 1995, without publicizing the details of their personal life. They never wanted to be perceived specifically as a “star couple,” even though they often starred in common projects. On the set of the film Sense and Sensibility, the actress began a relationship with young actor Greg Wise.According to her, the film and new love saved her from the severe depression into which Emma inevitably plunged after a painful separation from her husband: “Work and Greg just pieced me together, and everything worked out.”
At the age of 39, she gave birth to a daughter, Gaia, from her lover, and 4 years later, in 2003, they got married in Scotland. Moreover, they unofficially adopted a 16-year-old boy, a refugee from Rwanda. Now Emma is no longer the radical feminist she was before. The actress follows the ethical standards of Christian morality, but considers herself an atheist, is a member of the Labor Party, and actively participates in the work of Greenpeace and various charitable and human rights organizations.
