 |
Kenneth Branagh
Age: 49
Height: 5' 9 1/2"
Birth Place: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Born: Dec. 10th, 1960
+ Add to My Celebs
|
Kenneth Branagh's Main TV Roles
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at
IMDB
BIOGRAPHY: Kenneth Charles Branagh was born on December 10, 1960, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, to parents William Branagh, a carpenter born in 1930, and Frances Branagh, also born in 1930. His brother William Branagh Jr. was born in 1955 and sister Joyce Branagh was born in 1970. At 23 Branagh joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he took on starring roles in "Henry V" and "Romeo and Juliet". He soon found the RSC too large and impersonal and formed his own, the Renaissance Theatre Company, which now counts Prince Charles as one of its royal patrons. At 29 he directed and starred in the film Henry V (1989), which costarred his then-wife, Emma Thompson (I). The film brought him Best Actor and Best Director Oscar nominations. In 1993 he brought Shakespeare to mainstream audiences again with his hit adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing (1993), which featured an all-star cast that included Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves. At 30 he published his autobiography and at 34 he directed and starred as Victor Frankenstein in the big-budget adaptation of Mary Shelley (I)'s novel, Frankenstein (1994), with Robert De Niro as the monster himself. The bad reviews may have had some effect on his marriage, though, because in October 1995 he and Thompson announced their plans to divorce. In 1996 Branagh wrote, directed and starred in a lavish adaptation of Hamlet (1996). In recent years he starred in a series of non-Bard-related roles in Celebrity (1998), Wild Wild West (1999), and as a voice in The Road to El Dorado (2000).
TRIVIA:
- He was nominated for a 2004 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in "Edmond" at the Royal National Theatre.
- Moved to Reading, England at the age of nine. At age 23, he became the youngest actor in the Royal Shakespeare Company to ever play the lead in Shakespeare's "Henry V".
- He was awarded the 'Laurence Olivier' (qv) Theatre Award in 1983 (1982 season) for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in "Another Country".
- He and his ex-wife, 'Emma Thompson (I)' (qv), have appeared in separate films in the Harry Potter series. Branagh played Gilderoy Lockhart in _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)_ (qv), and Thompson played Sybil Trelawney in _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)_ (qv). Depending on what has been cut from the script for the fifth film, _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)_ (qv) could be the first time both have appeared together in the same film since their divorce. Also appearing in _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)_ (qv) is his ex-girlfriend, 'Helena Bonham Carter' (qv).
- Claims that 'Derek Jacobi' (qv) is the reason he got into acting, and thus Jacobi became a frequent collaborator with him in most of his movies.
- Wrote many of the _In the Bleak Midwinter (1995)_ (qv) characters for specific actors.
- The last film he made with 'Emma Thompson (I)' (qv) was _Much Ado About Nothing (1993)_ (qv). Their roles had previously been played in an earlier film by 'Robert Stephens (I)' (qv) and 'Maggie Smith (I)' (qv), who were also a couple at the time. Branagh and Thompson appeared together in _"Fortunes of War" (1987)_ (qv) and _Henry V (1989)_ (qv), which also featured Stephens, and in the Harry Potter films with Smith.
- Was originally considered for the part of the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi in _Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)_ (qv).
Kenneth Branagh Photos | powered by  |
Previous |
Next (1)
Kenneth Branagh Fans [2]
Facebook
Twitter
