Emma Thompson, renowned star of Love Actually, Sense and Sensibility and Remains of the Day, shared how working as an actor is like “becoming a master of your own magic tricks.”

Emma Thompson is one of the country’s most admired and well-loved actresses. Starting as a stand-up she’s wowed audiences in roles ranging from her BAFTA-winning appearance as Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility to Professor Trelawney in the Harry Potter series.

During an in-depth interview as part of a Life in Pictures event on 24 November, 2013, she spoke about how her sense of humour helped breathe life into her performances.

“The most moving things are often also funny, in life and in art,” she said.

“I can’t cope with anything that hasn’t got any humour in it at all. It’s a bit like eating without salt and pepper. There’s just something bland about it.”

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A woman with a silver-grey bob haircut wearing a plain black dress.
Emma Thompson on stage talking about her career.
The beloved British actress is known for starring in films including Sense and Sensibility, Harry Potter and Love Actually.
"The most moving things are often also funny, in life and in art," Thompson says.

An acclaimed British actress

Thompson said that her time in Cambridge Footlights, plus her parents’ acting experience (her father Eric Thompson narrated The Magic Roundabout), made her path in the industry seem almost inevitable.

“I was surrounded by creative people and I don’t think it would ever have gone any other way really,” she said.

By 1996, Thompson had won three BAFTAs for Best Actress for her roles in Tutti Frutti, Howards End and Sense and Sensibility. She believes the awards gave her confidence but remains down to earth, believing that “it’s revolting for actors to become grand.”

Versatile talent and star power

One of her most celebrated performances is in Richard Curtis’ comedy drama Love Actually. Critics agreed she brought an exceptional poignancy to her role as a jilted wife, making her story a standout moment in the film.

Thompson has also delighted family audiences as the enchanted disciplinarian in Nanny McPhee, and Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, both of which she adapted and starred in.

More recently Thompson has continued to demonstrate her versatility – from her portrayal of an omnipotent author in Stranger than Fiction to her tender depiction of late-life love in Last Chance Harvey.

For more inspiring Life in Pictures stories from the world of film, games and TV explore our BAFTA News Stories section. 

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