Love? Actually, no: Emma Thompson reveals Donald Trump asked her on a date
The actor says she once got asked out on a date by Donald Trump on the same day her divorced was confirmed.
Thompson said she was in her trailer filming Primary Colors in 1998, a political satire based on Bill Clinton's presidential rise, when the phone rang.
'It was Donald Trump,' Thompson told an audience at the Locarno film festival in Switzerland, where she received the Leopard Club award for career achievement.
'He said: 'Hello, this is Donald Trump.' I thought it was a joke and asked: 'How can I help you?' Maybe he needed directions from someone.
'Then he said: 'I'd love you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner.' I said: 'Well, that's very sweet. Thank you so much. I'll get back to you.''
At the time, Trump had just split from his second wife, Marla Maples. Thompson, meanwhile, had just finalised her divorce from Kenneth Branagh.
Only later did she twig the timing. 'I realised my divorce decree had come through that day,' she said on Saturday. 'I bet he's got people looking for a nice divorcee to take out on his arm.
'And he found the number in my trailer,' she joked. 'I mean, that's stalking.'
Thompson, a lifelong Labour supporter who publicly backed Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 and 2019 election campaigns, is a high-profile environmental activist who has campaigned for refugee and women's rights.
She told the audience she could have altered geopolitics if she'd accepted Trump's offer. 'I could have gone on a date with Donald Trump, and then I would have a story to tell,' she said. 'I could have changed the course of American history.'
The talk at the festival also covered Thompson's film career and one of her most famous roles in Richard Curtis' Christmas romcom, Love Actually. In the 2003 classic, Thompson plays Karen, whose marriage to Harry, played by Alan Rickman, comes under strain when Harry becomes tempted into an affair with his secretary.
Reflecting on the film's everlasting popularity, she said: 'I mean, it's honestly a constant source of astonishment to me that that film lasted – not that I don't like the film. I like it very much, but it's weird.'
Discussing the movie and the moment Karen discovers her partner has been unfaithful, she said she believes its appeal 'touched a nerve because we get a heartbreak, especially women, we have to hide it because we don't want people to see it'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Finextra
14 minutes ago
- Finextra
Fintech CEOs call on Trump to block banks from imposing 'account access' fees
The CEOs of more than 80 firms in the open banking sphere have written to President Donald Trump calling on him to prevent banks from charging fees to access consumer data. 0 Last October, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published the Personal Financial Data Rights final rule, giving Americans the right to instruct their banks to share their financial data with third party providers. But, under the new administration's leadership, in May the CFPB moved to have the rule rescinded in a decision that the Financial Technology Association (FTA) described as a "handout to Wall Street banks". Since then, it has emerged that JP Morgan is planning to impose fees on companies wanting to access its clients' bank account data and has gone so far as sending pricing sheets to data aggregators - the intermediaries that link banks and fintechs. In the letter to Trump, made public by the FTA, the open banking CEOS say: "Large banks are taking aggressive action to preserve their market position by imposing exorbitant new 'account access' fees that would prevent consumers from connecting their accounts to better financial products of their choice. "This access is critical to ensuring Americans have control of their own financial lives in a digital economy." The move would undermine consumer choice, "which you vigorously supported during your first Administration," says the letter, adding that if the large banks are successful, it will choke off access to the finances of consumers and businesses, effectively killing competition. The CEOs - from the likes of Brex, Chime, Klarna, Plaid and Sofi - also argue that such a move would cripple innovation in crypto, AI and digital wallets and payments. "We urge you to use the full power of your office and the broader Administration to prevent the largest institutions from raising new barriers to financial freedom," they write.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Large drop in number of pupils studying Welsh at A-level since 2005, data shows
There has been a dramatic drop in the number of pupils studying Welsh at A-level, with almost a third fewer taking the subject than two decades ago. More than 500 fewer students studied Welsh to a high level this year than in 2005, the latest data shows. The drop has come despite the Welsh Government having set a target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050. Around 538,000 people can speak the language in Wales. Data examined by the PA news agency shows some 372 students took Welsh as a first or second language at A-level this year, down from 927 in 2005. The lowest year on record was 2023, when just 353 pupils took the subject. This year has been the lowest year for people taking Welsh as a first language, with 185 entries, compared with 260 in 2020. Some 187 pupils took the subject as a second language, with 209 having taken it in 2020. Efa Gruffudd Jones, the Welsh Language Commissioner – an officer appointed by the Welsh Government to oversee an independent body aiming to promote the use of the Welsh language – described the drop as a 'matter of concern'. Speaking to PA, Ms Gruffudd Jones said she supported calls from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (Welsh National College) for Welsh to become a protected subject. She said: '(This would) make sure that every educational institution post-16 offers the course. 'What I hear from people who get in touch with my office, if only you know three or four people want to study it, then schools don't offer the subject at all. 'I believe they need 12 before they decide to run the course. I don't think that's right. 'I think it should be offered at every educational institution post-16.' Ms Gruffudd Jones also said the qualification itself is under review, and the content needs to be made more attractive and relevant to students. She added: 'The other thing is that you can study many more courses through the medium of Welsh now than you used to be able to. 'You can study psychology, criminology, etc, through the medium of Welsh. 'Maybe people in the past who would have wanted to study through the medium of Welsh chose Welsh, but now they have a wider range of choice.' The commissioner stressed that Welsh is not the only language to have seen a decline, with many European languages having seen a drop across the UK. Total entries for French, German, and Spanish were down by 20% from 443 to 352 in Wales this year, with Ruth Cocks, director of British Council Wales, describing the drop in interest in international languages as a 'concerning story'. Ms Gruffudd Jones said the reason for the move away from studying languages was unclear, but may be due to pupils being encouraged to study more Stem subjects. 'I understand that we need people with technical ability, but I would argue that you also need linguistic ability in order to communicate with people in workplaces, to articulate yourself well in future,' she said. 'I would argue that literature gives you some insight into the world. 'I don't think really that it should be either or. 'What's important is that it doesn't go any lower, and we continue to make efforts to attract people to learn Welsh to a high standard.' The Welsh Government's aim to have one million Welsh speakers by 2050 was first set out in 2017. Earlier this year, a new five-year plan was unveiled by the commissioner to help achieve the goal. And the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill, which aims to close the gap in Welsh speaking ability among pupils from different schools, passed in the Senedd. Figures from the 2021 census showed a decline in the number of people who can speak Welsh compared with a decade earlier. Around 538,000 people in Wales – roughly 17% of the population – said they could speak Welsh, compared with 562,000 in 2011, around 19% of the population. Recent years have seen Welsh place names take prominence over English as the default, with Eryri replacing Snowdonia on official communications from the national park authority. In response to the decline in A-level entries, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: 'We would like more learners to take Welsh as a subject. 'A consultation is taking place to look at creating new Welsh AS and A-levels, making them engaging and attractive to learners. 'We see the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 as a means to provide more children and young people with access to the language within the education sector than ever before. 'We want all young people to leave school with better Welsh skills, regardless of whether they do A-level Welsh or not.'
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Putin hails Trump's ‘sincere' efforts to broker peace in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin praised Donald Trump 's "energetic and sincere" attempts to end the war in Ukraine. Speaking in Moscow on Thursday, Putin stated that the US administration is making efforts to reach agreements beneficial to all parties involved in the conflict. Putin added that Trump aims to create "long-term peace" not only for Ukraine and Russia, but for the world as a whole. The Russian leader is scheduled to meet with Trump in Alaska on Friday for talks concerning the three-year conflict. Watch the video in full above.
