Oscar Winner Shares the Unexpected Moment Trump Tried to Woo Her

During the 78th Locarno Film Festival, Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson surprised the audience with an anecdote that few could have expected—one that involved none other than former U.S. President Donald Trump. The story, as she told it, dates back to the late 1990s, a period when Thompson’s personal and professional lives were both in the spotlight.

At the time, Thompson had just finalized her high-profile divorce from fellow actor and director Kenneth Branagh. She was on location filming Primary Colors, a political drama in which she played a character loosely inspired by Hillary Clinton. In the middle of a routine workday, as she relaxed in her trailer between scenes, the phone rang. It wasn’t her assistant, her agent, or a friend on the other end—it was a man introducing himself, quite casually, as Donald Trump.

Initially, Thompson thought she might be the target of a prank. The voice was confident and direct, but the idea of Trump calling her trailer out of the blue seemed almost absurd. However, as the conversation unfolded, it became clear this was no impersonator. Trump was indeed on the line, and he had a proposition: he wanted to take her out to dinner.

Thompson recalled being caught off guard, unsure how to respond to such an unexpected invitation from someone she barely knew. With characteristic politeness, she declined. The call ended without drama, but the sheer randomness of the encounter stayed with her. Looking back years later, Thompson laughed at the memory, quipping that perhaps if she had accepted the invitation, she might have “changed the course of history”—though she made it clear she has no regrets about her choice.

She also couldn’t resist poking fun at the timing. Freshly divorced and stepping into a new chapter of her life, Thompson joked that Trump might have been “looking for a nice divorcee” at the time. She admitted that if she had gone, it would have made for a remarkable story—though, in truth, it’s already a story worth telling simply because of its unexpectedness.

Her recollection naturally led to discussion of the period in her personal life surrounding the call. Thompson and Branagh had been married from 1989 to 1995, a union that had drawn significant media attention given their status as two of Britain’s most respected actors. Their split became headline news, in part because of Branagh’s widely reported romance with actress Helena Bonham Carter, a relationship that began during his marriage to Thompson. Though the love triangle fueled tabloids at the time, the years have softened the narrative, with all parties moving forward amicably in their own directions.

For Thompson, happiness came in the form of actor Greg Wise, whom she met on the set of Sense and Sensibility. Their friendship blossomed into romance, and by 2003, they were married. Together they built a grounded family life, raising two children while maintaining careers that kept them respected in the industry without overly courting the tabloid spotlight.

As for the others, Helena Bonham Carter went on to share a long-term relationship with filmmaker Tim Burton, with whom she had two children, before they amicably parted ways. Branagh eventually married art director Lindsay Brunnock, and the pair have kept a relatively low profile.

Today, Thompson remains an enduring force in Hollywood and British cinema—known for her wit, intelligence, and unshakable presence both on-screen and off. The Trump phone call, for all its randomness, has become a charming footnote in her life’s story: a fleeting, curious moment tucked into a career defined by award-winning performances, a sharp sense of humor, and a grounded personal life. It’s a reminder that even the most accomplished lives are dotted with strange, unexpected encounters—some of which are best remembered with a smile and a laugh.