Emma Thompson has once again stolen a moment — not for a new role or red carpet moment, but for a surprising story that merges pop culture, politics, and a healthy dose of “Sliding Doors” reflection.
At this year’s Locarno Film Festival, where she’s receiving the Leopard Club Award and walking the red carpet alongside her daughter Gaia Wise for The Dead of Winter, Emma shared a jaw-dropping anecdote. While filming Primary Colors in 1998 — and fresh off her divorce from Kenneth Branagh — she received an unexpected call from Donald Trump, who invited her to dine at one of his properties. She candidly recalled, “I didn’t even believe it was real. I thought, ‘This is a prank.’” She politely declined, later musing that had she accepted, history might’ve played out differently.
Onstage, her sense of humor and reflection were on full display as she coined, “Maybe I could’ve changed the course of American history.” It’s not often an actress combines wit and existential questioning with such charm — and audiences are eating it up.
Meanwhile, the festival circuit isn’t just serving nostalgia. Thompson and Gaia made a rare dual appearance for The Dead of Winter, a suspenseful thriller premiering at Locarno. In it, Thompson plays a widowed shop owner navigating chilling mysteries and survival in a dangerous, cold landscape. Ruff-edged and grounded, she delivers a performance lauded for its emotional depth and bravery.
The film finds Thompson dispensing warmth in the harshest conditions — veering from emotional vulnerability to strategic toughness. The icy visuals and storytelling have already made The Dead of Winter one of Locarno’s standout premieres.
Emma Thompson effortlessly blends poignant insight with sharp wit — this year’s Locarno is proof. From a fingernail-pulping “what if” about a Trump dinner invite to her mesmerizing performance in a new thriller, she continues to captivate on and off screen.
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