caption years_active birth_place birth_date spouse image article_title occupation alma_mater
thompson in september 2014 at a london climate march 1982 -- present paddington , london , england , united kingdom 15 april 1959 kenneth branagh 1989 1995 emma thompson at climate march.jpg emma thompson
 actress , comedian , screenwriter , author , activist newnham college , cambridge
emma thompson

emma thompson -lrb- born 15 april 1959 -rrb- is a british actress , comedienne , screenwriter and author .
cited as one of the greatest british actresses of her generation , she is known for her portrayals of reticent women in period dramas and literary adaptations , often playing haughty or matronly characters with a sense of irony .
born in paddington , london to english actor eric thompson and scottish actress phyllida law , she was educated at newnham college , university of cambridge , where she became a member of the footlights troupe .
after appearing in several comedy programmes , she first came to prominence in 1987 in two bbc tv series , `` tutti frutti '' and `` fortunes of war '' , winning the bafta tv award for best actress for her work in both .
her first film role came in the 1989 romantic comedy `` the tall guy '' , and in the early 1990s she frequently collaborated with her then husband , actor and director kenneth branagh .
the pair became popular in the british media , and co-starred in several films including `` dead again '' -lrb- 1991 -rrb- and `` much ado about nothing '' -lrb- 1993 -rrb- .
in 1992 , thompson won multiple acting awards , including an academy award and a bafta award for best actress , for her work in the british drama `` howards end '' .
in 1993 , thompson garnered dual academy award nominations for her roles in `` the remains of the day '' , as a stately housekeeper , and `` in the name of the father '' , as a lawyer .
thompson scripted and starred in 1995 's `` sense and sensibility '' , which earned her -lrb- among other awards -rrb- an academy award for best adapted screenplay and a bafta award for best actress .
other notable film and television credits include the `` harry potter '' film series , `` wit '' -lrb- 2001 -rrb- , `` love actually '' -lrb- 2003 -rrb- , `` angels in america '' -lrb- 2003 -rrb- , `` nanny mcphee '' -lrb- 2005 -rrb- , `` stranger than fiction '' -lrb- 2006 -rrb- , `` last chance harvey '' -lrb- 2008 -rrb- , `` men in black 3 '' -lrb- 2012 -rrb- , and `` brave '' -lrb- 2012 -rrb- .
in 2013 , she received acclaim and several award nominations for her portrayal of p. l. travers in `` saving mr. banks '' .
thompson is married to actor greg wise , with whom she lives in london and has one daughter .
she has been outspoken on issues such as religion , the environment and human rights , and has authored two books adapted from `` the tale of peter rabbit '' .
