At the 78th Locarno Film Festival, Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson recounted an unexpected moment from the late 1990s—when Donald Trump personally called to ask her out on a date.
Back then, Thompson had just finalized her divorce from actor Kenneth Branagh and was shooting Primary Colors. While sitting in her trailer, the phone rang. “Hello, this is Donald Trump,” came the voice on the other end.
Thinking it was a prank at first, Thompson later joked about the odd timing, wondering if Trump was on the hunt for “a nice divorcee” to join him. She declined the invitation but admitted that accepting might have given her “a story to tell” — and who knows, maybe even “changed the course of history.”
Thompson shared this anecdote while reflecting on her past relationships. She married Branagh in 1989 and divorced in 1995, amid rumors involving Branagh and actress Helena Bonham Carter. However, all parties have since moved forward amicably.
After the split, Thompson found lasting happiness with actor Greg Wise, whom she met on the set of Sense and Sensibility. The couple married in 2003 and have two children. Meanwhile, Bonham Carter dated filmmaker Tim Burton for many years, and Branagh married art director Lindsay Brunnock in 2003.
Today, Thompson continues her successful career and enjoys family life — with this unexpected Trump phone call standing out as a surprising footnote in Hollywood history.
