Person
Emma Thompson
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- April 15, 1959
- Place of birth
- Paddington, London, England, UK
- Also known as
- Dame Emma Thompson
Biography
Dame Emma Thompson (born April 15, 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. Her work spans over four decades of screen and stage, and her accolades include 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 her contributions 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 became famous for her performances in two BBC 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).
Thompson won the BAFTA Award and the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the Merchant-Ivory period drama Howards End (1992). 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). She portrayed Mrs. Lovett in a Lincoln Center production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 2014. Authorised by the publishers of Beatrix Potter, Thompson has also written three Peter Rabbit children's books.
Biography from TMDB, which often draws on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source · CC BY-SA 4.0
In Catlg
3 Works in the catalog credit them.
Filmography
Everybody to Kenmure StreetFilm · 2026 · as Van Guy
The Sheep DetectivesFilm · 2026 · as Lydia Harbottle
Bridget Jones: Mad About the BoyFilm · 2025 · as Dr Rawlings
Dead of WinterFilm · 2025 · as Barb
Down Cemetery RoadTV · 2025 · as Zoë Boehm · 8 episodes
Merchant IvoryFilm · 2024 · as Self
What's Love Got to Do with It?Film · 2023 · as Cath Stevenson
Good Luck to You, Leo GrandeFilm · 2022 · as Nancy Stokes
Roald Dahl's Matilda the MusicalFilm · 2022 · as Agatha Trunchbull
The Fringe, Fame and MeFilm · 2022 · as Self
The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer SpecialFilm · 2022 · as Self
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?TV · 2022 · as Lady Marcham · 1 episode
An Audience with AdeleFilm · 2021 · as Self
CruellaFilm · 2021 · as The Baroness
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir AnthonyFilm · 2021 · as Self (archive footage)
DolittleFilm · 2020 · as Poly (voice)
How to Build a GirlFilm · 2020 · as Amanda
ExtinctionFilm · 2019 · Acting
Hollywood's Dark SecretFilm · 2019 · as Self
Last ChristmasFilm · 2019 · as Petra Andrich- Last ChristmasFilm · 2019 · Producer
- Last ChristmasFilm · 2019 · Screenplay
Late NightFilm · 2019 · as Katherine Newbury
Men in Black: InternationalFilm · 2019 · as Agent O
Missing LinkFilm · 2019 · as Dora the Yeti Elder (voice)
The Kelly Clarkson ShowTV · 2019 · as Self - Guest · 1 episode
Years and YearsTV · 2019 · as Vivienne Rook · 6 episodes
Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein ScandalFilm · 2018 · as Self (archive footage)
Greenpeace: There's a Rang-Tan in My BedroomFilm · 2018 · as Narrator (voice)
Johnny English Strikes AgainFilm · 2018 · as Prime Minister
King LearFilm · 2018 · as Goneril
The Children ActFilm · 2018 · as Fiona Maye
Beauty and the BeastFilm · 2017 · as Mrs. Potts
Sea SorrowFilm · 2017 · as Self
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)Film · 2017 · as Maureen Meyerowitz
Alone in BerlinFilm · 2016 · as Anna Quangel
Bridget Jones's BabyFilm · 2016 · as Dr Rawlings- Bridget Jones's BabyFilm · 2016 · Screenplay
Die vielen Gesichter der Emma ThompsonFilm · 2016 · as Elle-Même- The Doubt Machine: Inside the Koch Brothers' War on Climate ScienceFilm · 2016 · as Narrator (voice)
To the Ends of the EarthFilm · 2016 · as Narrator (voice)
A Walk in the WoodsFilm · 2015 · as Catherine Bryson
BurntFilm · 2015 · as Dr. Rosshilde- Funny ValentinesTV · 2015 · as Debbie · 1 episode
Sainsbury's: Mog's Christmas CalamityFilm · 2015 · as Narrator (voice)
The Late Show with Stephen ColbertTV · 2015 · as Self - Guest · 4 episodes
The Legend of Barney ThomsonFilm · 2015 · as Cemolina
Effie GrayFilm · 2014 · as Lady Eastlake- Effie GrayFilm · 2014 · Screenplay
Late Night with Seth MeyersTV · 2014 · as Self · 2 episodes
Men, Women & ChildrenFilm · 2014 · as Narrator (voice)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – In Concert with the New York PhilharmonicFilm · 2014 · as Self / Mrs. Lovett
The Love PunchFilm · 2014 · as Kate
The Real Mary PoppinsFilm · 2014 · as Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonTV · 2014 · as Self - Guest · 2 episodes
Beautiful CreaturesFilm · 2013 · as Mrs. Lincoln / Sarafine Duchannes
Saving Mr. BanksFilm · 2013 · as P.L. Travers
BraveFilm · 2012 · as Elinor (voice)
Men in Black 3Film · 2012 · as Agent O
Playhouse PresentsTV · 2012 · as The Queen · 1 episode
Walking the DogsFilm · 2012 · as The Queen
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2Film · 2011 · as Sybill Trelawney
The Jonathan Ross ShowTV · 2011 · as Self · 1 episode
When Harry Left HogwartsFilm · 2011 · as Self
Fry and Laurie ReunitedFilm · 2010 · as Self
Nanny McPhee and the Big BangFilm · 2010 · as Nanny McPhee- Nanny McPhee and the Big BangFilm · 2010 · Screenplay
The Song of LunchFilm · 2010 · as She- A Sense of CharacterFilm · 2009 · as Self
- A Very Quiet ManFilm · 2009 · as Self
An EducationFilm · 2009 · as Headmistress- Elegance & Simplicity: The Wardrobe of Sense & SensibilityFilm · 2009 · as Self
- Locating the World of Sense & SensibilityFilm · 2009 · as Self
The Boat That RockedFilm · 2009 · as Charlotte
Brideshead RevisitedFilm · 2008 · as Lady Marchmain
Last Chance HarveyFilm · 2008 · as Kate Walker
Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixFilm · 2007 · as Sybill Trelawney
I Am LegendFilm · 2007 · as Dr. Alice Krippin
Stephen Fry: 50 Not OutFilm · 2007 · as Self
The Graham Norton ShowTV · 2007 · as Self · 6 episodes
Stranger Than FictionFilm · 2006 · as Karen Eiffel
A Tribute To Ismail MerchantFilm · 2005 · as Self (archive footage)
Nanny McPheeFilm · 2005 · as Nanny McPhee- Nanny McPheeFilm · 2005 · Screenplay
Nos Bastidores de HollywoodFilm · 2005 · as Self (archive footage)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanFilm · 2004 · as Sybill Trelawney- The Tony Danza ShowTV · 2004 · as Self · 1 episode
Angels in AmericaTV · 2003 · as Nurse Emily / Homeless Woman / The Angel · 5 episodes
Imagining ArgentinaFilm · 2003 · as Cecilia Rueda
Love ActuallyFilm · 2003 · as Karen
QITV · 2003 · as Self · 1 episode
The Ellen DeGeneres ShowTV · 2003 · as Self · 3 episodes
Heart of the FestivalFilm · 2002 · as Self (archive footage)
Sucré saléTV · 2002 · as Self · 1 episode
TimeshiftTV · 2002 · as self · 1 episode
Treasure PlanetFilm · 2002 · as Captain Amelia (voice)
Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honor: England's Fatal FlawFilm · 2001 · as Self
Friday Night with Jonathan RossTV · 2001 · as Self - Guest · 2 episodes
Love & Loyalty: The Making of 'The Remains of the Day'Film · 2001 · as Self
The Remains of the Day: The Filmmaker's JourneyFilm · 2001 · as Self
We Know Where You Live. Live!Film · 2001 · as Self
WitFilm · 2001 · as Vivian Bearing- WitFilm · 2001 · Writer, Teleplay
Maybe BabyFilm · 2000 · as Druscilla
Judas KissFilm · 1998 · as FBI Agent Sadie Hawkins
Junket WhoreFilm · 1998 · as Self
ParkinsonTV · 1998 · as Self · 1 episode
Primary ColorsFilm · 1998 · as Susan Stanton
Hospital!Film · 1997 · as Elephant Woman- Leute heuteTV · 1997 · as Self · 1 episode
The ViewTV · 1997 · as Self · 2 episodes
The Winter GuestFilm · 1997 · as Frances
E! True Hollywood StoryTV · 1996 · Acting · 1 episode
CarringtonFilm · 1995 · as Dora Carrington
Sense and SensibilityFilm · 1995 · as Elinor Dashwood- Sense and SensibilityFilm · 1995 · Screenplay
EllenTV · 1994 · as Emma Thompson · 1 episode
JuniorFilm · 1994 · as Dr. Diana Reddin
My Father the HeroFilm · 1994 · as Isabel (uncredited)
The Blue BoyFilm · 1994 · as Marie Bonnar
GMTVTV · 1993 · as Self · 1 episode
In the Name of the FatherFilm · 1993 · as Gareth Peirce
Late Night with Conan O'BrienTV · 1993 · as Self - Guest · 1 episode
Much Ado About NothingFilm · 1993 · as Beatrice
The Remains of the DayFilm · 1993 · as Miss Kenton
Howards EndFilm · 1992 · as Margaret Schlegel
Peter's FriendsFilm · 1992 · as Maggie Chester
The Tonight Show with Jay LenoTV · 1992 · Acting · 2 episodes
Dead AgainFilm · 1991 · as Grace / Margaret Strauss
ImpromptuFilm · 1991 · as Duchess D'Antan- Rabbit Ears - The White CatFilm · 1991 · as Narrator (voice)
Tin FishFilm · 1990 · Acting
Colleagues From HellFilm · 1989 · Acting
Henry VFilm · 1989 · as Katherine
Look Back in AngerFilm · 1989 · as Alison Porter- The SimpsonsTV · 1989 · as Constance Clavinger (voice) · 1 episode
The Tall GuyFilm · 1989 · as Kate- The Winslow BoyFilm · 1989 · as Catherine Winslow
LIVE with Kelly and MarkTV · 1988 · as Self - Guest · 1 episode- ThompsonTV · 1988 · as Self - Host · 6 episodes
Fortunes of WarTV · 1987 · as Harriet Pringle · 7 episodes
Tutti FruttiTV · 1987 · as Suzi Kettles · 6 episodes
Screen TwoTV · 1985 · as Marie · 1 episode
Theatre NightTV · 1985 · as Catherine Winslow · 1 episode
Royal Variety Performance 1984Film · 1984 · Acting
SlagsFilm · 1984 · as Young Woman
AlfrescoTV · 1983 · as Various · 13 episodes- AlfrescoTV · 1983 · Writer · 13 episodes
The Crystal CubeTV · 1983 · as Jackie Meld / Various Roles · 1 episode
CheersTV · 1982 · as Nanny Gee · 1 episode
The Cellar TapesFilm · 1982 · as various- The Cellar TapesFilm · 1982 · Writer
The Comic Strip Presents...TV · 1982 · as Young Woman · 1 episode
The Young OnesTV · 1982 · as Miss Money-Sterling · 1 episode
There's Nothing to Worry About!TV · 1982 · as Various · 3 episodes- There's Nothing to Worry About!TV · 1982 · Writer · 3 episodes
Wetten, dass..?TV · 1981 · as Self · 1 episode
Friday Night, Saturday MorningTV · 1979 · Acting · 1 episode- The Val Doonican Music ShowTV · 1977 · Acting · 1 episode
Saturday Night LiveTV · 1975 · as Self - Host · 1 episode
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonTV · 1962 · as Self · 1 episode- The OscarsTV · 1953 · as Self · 3 episodes
- Hear Me RoarFilm · as Elizabeth Butler-Sloss
- How to Stop a Nuclear WarFilm · as Narrator (voice)
- James Ivory: In Search of Love and BeautyFilm · as Self
Filmography from TMDB. This product uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.