During the 78th Locarno Film Festival, Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson shared a surprising story from the late 1990s — the day Donald Trump called and invited her on a date.
At the time, Thompson had just finalized her divorce from actor Kenneth Branagh and was filming Primary Colors.
Sitting in her trailer, she received a phone call: “Hello, this is Donald Trump,” the voice said.
Initially thinking it was a prank, she later reflected that the timing was unusual,
joking that he might have been looking for “a nice divorcee” to accompany him.
Thompson ultimately declined, but she quipped that saying yes might have given her “a story to tell” and perhaps even “changed the course of history.”
The revelation came alongside discussion of her past relationships.
Thompson and Branagh married in 1989 and divorced in 1995.
The split was followed by public speculation about Branagh’s relationship with actress Helena Bonham Carter,
though all parties have since moved on amicably.
After the divorce,
Thompson found lasting love with actor Greg Wise,
whom she met on the set of Sense and Sensibility.
The couple married in 2003 and have two children.
Bonham Carter later had a long-term relationship with filmmaker Tim Burton,
while Branagh married art director Lindsay Brunnock in 2003.
Today, Thompson continues to enjoy a celebrated career and a happy family life — with this unexpected Trump encounter remaining a memorable Hollywood footnote.
