At the 78th Locarno Film Festival, Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson shared an unexpected and amusing story from the late 1990s involving former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Back then, Thompson had just finalized her divorce from actor Kenneth Branagh and was filming Primary Colors when she received an unusual phone call directly to her trailer. On the other end was a man who introduced himself as Donald Trump. Momentarily baffled—and suspecting a prank—Thompson soon realized it was the real deal. Trump proceeded to invite her out on a date, an offer she politely declined.
Looking back years later, Thompson joked that maybe saying yes could have “changed the course of history.” She also humorously speculated that Trump might have been on the lookout for a “nice divorcee” at the time, given the timing of the call. While she passed on the invitation, she admitted it would’ve made for a pretty unforgettable story.
The anecdote also brought attention to Thompson’s personal life in that era. She and Branagh, married in 1989, divorced in 1995 amid media buzz over Branagh’s rumored relationship with actress Helena Bonham Carter. The drama has since quieted, and Thompson moved on.
She later found love with actor Greg Wise, whom she met on the set of Sense and Sensibility. They married in 2003 and have created a grounded family life with their two children, far from the glare of tabloid headlines.
Meanwhile, Branagh married art director Lindsay Brunnock, and Bonham Carter enjoyed a long partnership with filmmaker Tim Burton. Through it all, Thompson has remained focused on her thriving career and family.
That surprising call from Trump remains a quirky, lighthearted footnote in Thompson’s rich life story—a moment that adds an unexpected twist to Hollywood history.