Emma Thompson

Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is an English actress and screenwriter whose career spans over four decades across stage and screen. Considered an acclaimed figure in British drama, her accolades include two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award, along with nominations for two Grammy Awards. In 2018, she was appointed a dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to drama.

Thompson was born in Hammersmith, London, to Scottish actress Phyllida Law and English actor Eric Thompson. She grew up in West Hampstead alongside her younger sister, Sophie, who also became an actress. After attending Camden School for Girls, she entered Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1977 to study English literature. While at university, she joined the Cambridge Footlights comedy troupe alongside Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, serving as Vice President in 1980 and co-directing its first all-female revue. She graduated with upper second-class honours in 1980 and studied clowning under Philippe Gaulier.

Thompson began her professional career in radio and television, appearing in projects such as Injury Time, There's Nothing to Worry About!, and Alfresco. In 1985, she achieved a theatrical breakthrough playing Sally Smith in a West End revival of the musical Me and My Girl. She came to wider prominence in 1987 for her leading roles in two BBC miniseries, Tutti Frutti and Fortunes of War, winning the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her performances in both series. In 1989, she made her feature film debut in The Tall Guy and starred as Princess Katherine in Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Henry V.

In 1992, Thompson won the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her starring performance in the Merchant-Ivory period drama Howards End. The following year, she achieved dual Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in The Remains of the Day and Best Supporting Actress in In the Name of the Father. Thompson wrote and starred in the 1995 film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, earning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and another BAFTA Award, making her the only person in history to win Oscars for both acting and writing.

Over the following decades, Thompson starred in acclaimed films such as Primary Colors (1998), Love Actually (2003), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Late Night (2019), and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022). Her major commercial screen credits include the Harry Potter film series, Nanny McPhee (2005)—which she also wrote—Stranger than Fiction (2006), An Education (2009), Men in Black 3 (2012), Brave (2012), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Cruella (2021), and Matilda the Musical (2022).

In addition to film, Thompson's television credits include Wit (2001), Angels in America (2003), The Song of Lunch (2010), King Lear (2018), and Years and Years (2019). On stage, she portrayed Mrs. Lovett in a 2014 Lincoln Center production of Sweeney Todd. Authorised by Beatrix Potter's publishers, she has also written three Peter Rabbit children's books.