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Emma Thompson -

Emma Thompson was born in London, England, on April 15, 1959, to actor Eric Thompson and Scottish actress Phyllida Law.

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Early life -

Eric Thompson, the writer–narrator of the popular children's television series 'The Magic Roundabout,' died in 1982, aged 52. His untimely death "tore [the family] to pieces," Emma Thompson later commented. She's pictured in 1968 with her father and younger sister Sophie, also an actress. The puppets in the image are those used in the series.

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Cambridge -

Thompson studied English at Newnham College, Cambridge. Surrounded by creative people, she quickly realized that becoming an actress was inevitable.

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Cambridge Footlights -

While at Cambridge, Thompson was invited into the Cambridge Footlights, the university's prestigious sketch comedy troupe. There she met fellow thespians Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Pictured at Cambridge (clockwise from back left) is Stephen Fry, Tony Slattery, Paul Shearer, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, and Penny Dwyer.

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Television career -

After graduating from university, Thompson embarked on an acting career. The death of her father in 1982 coincided with her professional stage appearance. Soon afterwards, the small screen beckoned, working mainly with her Footlights co-stars Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. She's picture here with Fry in a scene from the BBC television show 'The Cambridge Footlights Review.'

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'Me and My Girl' (1985) -

An early career breakthrough was being cast alongside Robert Lindsay in the London West End revival of the musical 'Me and My Girl' (pictured). The production earned rave reviews and elevated Thompson's profile considerably.

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'Fortunes of War' (1987) -

Two years later, the actress achieved national stardom in the acclaimed television miniseries 'Fortunes of War.' She appeared alongside Kenneth Branagh, whom she would collaborate with throughout her early career. For her role in this production and the dark comedy 'Tutti Frutti,' also aired in 1987, Thompson won a BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress.

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'Look Back in Anger' (1989) -

Thompson and Branagh soon became a couple, and they starred together in a stage revival of John Osbourne's 'Look Back in Anger,' directed by Judi Dench. The cast is pictured (back row, left to right): Kenneth Branagh, Edward Jewesbury and Gerard Horan; (front row, left to right): Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, and Siobhan Redmond.

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Marriage to Kenneth Branagh -

In 1989, Thompson and Branagh married. They would go on to appear in several films together, though her first big screen appearance in the 'The Tall Guy' (1989) cast her alongside Hollywood star Jeff Goldblum and English actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson.

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'Henry V' (1989) -

Later that same year, she appeared alongside her husband in Branagh's critically acclaimed screen adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Henry V.'

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'Howards End' (1992) -

She followed her husband and Shakespeare into the new decade, appearing with Branagh in his stage productions of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'King Lear.' In 1992, however, Thompson achieved worldwide fame for her portrayal of Margaret Schlegel in the period romantic drama 'Howards End,' starring alongside Anthony Hopkins and Vanessa Redgrave.

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First Oscar win -

Her work on 'Howards End,' directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant, garnered Thompson the Academy Award for Best Actress—her first Oscar nomination and win. She also won a BAFTA Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the same movie, and took home the Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.

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'Much Ado About Nothing' (1993) -

The early 1990s saw Emma Thompson at the peak of her career. In 1993, she appeared alongside Branagh in 'Much Ado About Nothing,' which costarred Hollywood heavyweights Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, and Keanu Reeves. It one of the most financially successful Shakespeare films ever released.

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'The Remains of the Day' (1993) -

The same year, she reunited with James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, as well as Anthony Hopkins, to film 'The Remains of the Day.' Another critical and commercial success, the actress received a second Best Actress Oscar nod, as well as BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations.

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'In the Name of the Father' (1993) -

She was nominated again by the Academy that year for her supporting role as lawyer Gareth Peirce for 'In the Name of the Father,' starring alongside Daniel Day-Lewis (who was nominated for Best Actor).

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'Sense and Sensibility' (1995) -

In 1994, Thompson made her Hollywood debut alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in the poorly received 'Junior.' As if to compensate for this cinematic hiccup, Thompson's next appearance was in 'Sense and Sensibility.' Besides starring in the film, she wrote the screenplay, adapted from Jane Austen's 1811 novel of the same name. Directed by Ang Lee and co-starring Kate Winslet, the film received widespread critical acclaim and ranks among the highest-grossing films of Thompson's career.

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Second Oscar win -

For her efforts, Thompson won her second Academy Award, this time for Best Adapted Screenplay. The accolade to date makes her the only person in history to win Academy Awards for both acting and writing. On top of that, her screenplay also won BAFTA and Golden Globe awards.

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'The Winter Guest' (1997) -

Emma Thompson's mother, Phyllida Law, is a successful actress in her own right. In 1987, she costarred alongside her daughter in 'The Winter Guest,' a drama directed by Emma Thompson's good friend Alan Rickman. The picture was met warmly by critics.

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Emmy win -

Emma Thompson won her first Emmy, which like her Oscar was also the first she was ever nominated for, in 1998 in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for 'Ellen.'

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'Wit' (2001) -

By now divorced from Branagh and dating Greg Wise, Emma Thompson ended the 1990s with a couple of mediocre Hollywood movies before returning to television in the HBO production 'Wit.' The television film, directed by Mike Nichols, earned Thompson nominations at the Golden Globes, Emmys, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

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Activism -

Emma Thompson has been an active campaigner for all sorts of social causes since her youth. She's long been an ambassador for ActionAid, whose primary aim is to work against poverty and injustice worldwide. She's pictured in 2002 with Prince Charles at the 30th anniversary at the charity at St James's Palace in London.

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'Love Actually' (2003) -

Reducing her workload after the arrival of daughter Gaia with Wise, Thompson nonetheless accepted a part in the smash hit romantic comedy 'Love Actually.' The ensemble cast included Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, and Colin Firth. Her performance received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

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Marriage to Greg Wise -

In 2003, Emma Thompson married Greg Wise (pictured). During this period she continued opting for low-key supporting roles, before appearing on television again in her second HBO miniseries, 'Angels in America,' alongside Al Pacino and Meryl Streep. She played three roles in the production, and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress.

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'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (2004) -

In a role she described as "great fun," the actress portrayed the eccentric Divination teacher Sybill Trelawney in 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (2004). She reprised the character in 'Order of the Phoenix' (2007) and 'Deathly Hallows – Part 2' (2011).

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'Nanny McPhee' (2005) -

For nine years up until its release in 2005, Emma Thompson had been working on bringing to the screen 'Nanny McPhee.' The movie's main character is loosely based on the 'Nurse Matilda' books she'd read as a child in the 1960s. The comedy-drama was released to favorable reviews and did well at the box office. A sequel, 'Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang,' was released in 2010.

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'Last Chance Harvey' (2008) -

Emma Thompson's next film of note was 'Last Chance Harvey,' which costarred Dustin Hoffman. A gentle romantic drama, Thompson and Hoffman both received Golden Globe nominations for their performances.

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Crystal Award -

Active in human rights work and a committed environmentalist, Emma Thompson was acknowledged for her efforts in 2008 with a Crystal Award, presented to her at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

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'Brave' (2012) -

After appearing in 2012's 'Men in Black 3,' Thompson remained in Hollywood to voice the character of Scottish queen Elinor in 'Brave.' The computer-animated fantasy garnered numerous accolades, including the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, and was a commercial success.

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'Saving Mr. Banks' (2013) -

Thompson capitalized on her US mainstream success by appearing opposite Tom Hanks in 'Saving Mr. Banks.' In it she portrays writer P.L. Travers, who meets Walt Disney (Hanks) after he expresses interest in adapting her Mary Poppins books for the big screen. The movie did well at the box office, with Thompson's performance receiving BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild nominations.

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'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' (2014) -

Having first trodden the boards as an inspiring actress in Cambridge, and honed much of her craft in theater, Thompson finally made her New York debut in 2014 at the Lincoln Center in 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.' It was her fist stage appearance in 24 years, and her role as Mrs. Lovett was highly praised. She received her sixth Emmy nomination for the televised performance.

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Greenpeace -

A supporter of Greenpeace, the actress is seen here joining Greenpeace climate change activists outside the Shell building on September 29, 2015 in London, England. The event was marked as a celebration after the Anglo-Dutch oil company announced that it was pulling out of Arctic oil drilling. Thompson's message reads: "Let's not destroy our planet for the sake of short term profits."

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'The Meyerowitz Stories' (2017) -

'The Meyerowitz Stories' teamed Thompson with Dustin Hoffman for a second time, along with Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, and Elizabeth Marvel in a story about a group of dysfunctional adult siblings trying to live in the shadow of their father.

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Dame Emma Thompson -

In 2018, Emma Thompson joined the likes of Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, and Diana Rigg when she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on November 7.

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'Late Night' (2019) -

A third nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical followed Thompson's appearance in 'Late Night, in which she plays a popular television host who hires a new writer to keep the show from getting replaced.

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'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' (2022) -

'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and costars Daryl McCormack. And Thompson remains busy with several upcoming film projects, among them a film adaptation of 'Matilda the Musical,' and 'What's Love Got to Do With It?'

Sources: (The Guardian)

See also: Be charmed by these celebrity 'English roses' 

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