"Emma Thompson"

Dame Emma Thompson appears on SmartLess via video call from her London home office during a UK heat wave. The conversation begins with casual banter about the hosts' appearances on camera and their respective sports interests, before transitioning to Emma's extensive career. Emma discusses her comedic background in Cambridge's Footlight sketch group, where she performed with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, and her original aspiration to become a comedian influenced by Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner. She explains how she approaches character selection, noting that opportunities often come at the right moment in her life, citing Alone in Berlin as an example of a project that resonated with her interest in exploring British wartime trauma. Emma discusses her role as Professor Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter films, emphasizing that despite its massive cultural impact, she only spent about 30 days on set over the entire franchise. She describes the character development process as an instinctive rather than intellectual exercise, comparing it to meeting the right person at the right time. The conversation shifts to her theatrical work, including her acclaimed performance in Sweeney Todd at Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic 10 years ago, which she describes as utilizing every aspect of her abilities. Emma explains how she came to adapt Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility for film, revealing that producer Lindsay Doran approached her after seeing a feminist sketch Thompson wrote about Victorian sexual ignorance. She discusses her other screenwriting work, including the Nanny McPhee films and an upcoming musical adaptation of that work by Gary Clark (who wrote for Sing Street). The hosts learn about Emma's new projects: The Sheep Detective, a murder mystery written by Craig Mazin about a murdered shepherd whose sheep solve the crime, co-starring Hugh Jackman. Emma shares details about her family background—both parents were actors who worked primarily in theater before television arrived—and how she grew up in London since age six. She discusses her parenting approach regarding screen time, mentioning she convinced her daughter that the television was broken for eight years and didn't allow a phone until secondary school at age 13. The conversation explores broader cultural topics, including the value of boredom for childhood development and imagination, the British experience of extreme heat during climate change, and the cultural differences in attitudes toward ice in beverages. Emma characterizes Europeans' skepticism about ice in drinks as a cultural norm, while the hosts (particularly Will, who is Canadian) express their fascination with readily available ice in America. The discussion touches on fan interactions, with Emma noting that she's respected rather than mobbed as a celebrity in Britain, and she describes keeping her Oscar and Golden Globe awards in high shelves or the bathroom to keep them "in their place." She advocates for a particular type of respectful fan engagement and explains that she rarely says no to fan requests, except sometimes when with her children. The hosts propose a show concept where Emma rediscovers England, with the suggestion that it could follow Stanley Tucci's model of traveling through regions with commentary and food exploration. Emma expresses her deep love for both London and Scotland (her mother's homeland), praising Scotland's wild, unbound countryside and England's character-filled communities. She discusses recent filming experiences in Cornwall and various English villages, expressing renewed appreciation for these locations. Throughout the conversation, Emma demonstrates her characteristic wit, thoughtfulness, and willingness to share personal anecdotes, while the hosts acknowledge they didn't actually ask her prepared interview questions but instead enjoyed a natural conversation.