Kenneth Branagh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Kenneth Branagh
Branagh at diff 2015
Born	Kenneth Charles Branagh (1960-12-10) 10 December 1960 (age 64) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation	Actor filmmaker
Years active	1981–present
Works	Filmography
Spouse(s)	Emma Thompson ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1995)​ Lindsay Brunnock ​ (m. 2003)​
Partner(s)	Helena Bonham Carter (1994–1999)
Awards	Full list

Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (born 10 December 1960) is a famous British actor and filmmaker. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and grew up mostly in Reading, Berkshire, England. Kenneth Branagh studied acting at RADA in London. He was even the president of RADA from 2015 to 2024.

Branagh has won many important awards. These include an Academy Award, four BAFTAs, two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, he was made a Knight. This means he can use the title "Sir." In 2018, he was given the Freedom of the City in his hometown of Belfast. In 2020, The Irish Times newspaper named him one of Ireland's greatest film actors.

Kenneth Branagh is well-known for directing and starring in movies based on William Shakespeare's plays. Some of these include Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Othello (1995), and Hamlet (1996). He was nominated for Academy Awards for his work on Henry V and Hamlet.

He has also directed other popular films. These include Thor (2011) and Cinderella (2015). For his movie Belfast (2021), which was based on his own childhood, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Branagh has also played the detective Hercule Poirot in three movies: Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Death on the Nile (2022), and A Haunting in Venice (2023). He has acted in many other films too. These include Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and Valkyrie (2008). He played Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn (2011), which earned him another Academy Award nomination. He also appeared in Christopher Nolan's films Dunkirk (2017), Tenet (2020), and Oppenheimer (2023).

On television, Branagh starred in the series Wallander (2008–2016). He won an Emmy Award for playing a Nazi official named Reinhard Heydrich in the film Conspiracy (2001).

Early Life and Education

Kenneth Charles Branagh was born in Belfast on 10 December 1960. His parents, Frances and William Branagh, were working-class Protestants. His father worked as a plumber and joiner. Kenneth was the middle child of three. He lived in the Tigers Bay area of Belfast.

In 1970, when he was nine, his family moved to England. They moved to escape the difficult times known as the Troubles. This was a period of political and religious conflict in Northern Ireland. The family settled in Reading, England. Kenneth went to Whiteknights Primary School and Meadway School there. He acted in school plays like Toad of Toad Hall.

At school, Branagh learned to speak with a standard English accent. This helped him avoid being bullied. He later said he still feels Irish. He believes his "love of words" comes from his Irish background. He joined the Reading Cine & Video Society and was a keen member of Progress Theatre. After school, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. In 1980, he even performed a speech from Hamlet for Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to RADA.

Career Highlights

Early Success (1980–1988)

Branagh has adapted many plays by William Shakespeare for stage and screen.

Branagh's first small film role was in Chariots of Fire (1981). He became well-known in Northern Ireland for playing Billy in the BBC's Billy Plays (1982–84). These plays were set in Belfast. In the UK, he gained fame for his stage acting. He won an award in 1982 for his role in Another Country.

In 1987, Branagh and David Parfitt started the Renaissance Theatre Company. They had already had success with plays in London. Their first big show was Twelfth Night in 1987. This play featured music by Patrick Doyle, who later wrote music for Branagh's film Henry V. Branagh also wrote a play called Public Enemy, set in Belfast.

In 1987, Branagh got his first main film role in A Month in The Country. He played an ex-army officer looking for Saxon treasures. He acted alongside Colin Firth in this film. Branagh became a big name in British theatre. In 1988, his company toured with three Shakespeare plays. He also directed and starred in Hamlet. A critic said he had the "vitality of Laurence Olivier" in the role.

Becoming a Star (1989–1999)

Branagh starred in many films and plays with Emma Thompson.

In 1989, Branagh acted with Emma Thompson in the play Look Back in Anger. In 1990, he wrote his autobiography, Beginning. He said he wrote it mainly for "money" to help his theatre company.

Branagh directed and starred in the mystery thriller Dead Again (1991). It starred Emma Thompson and Andy Garcia. The film was praised by critics. The next year, he directed Peter's Friends. This comedy-drama featured his friends from acting school, including Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry. Critics liked it, comparing it to the American film The Big Chill.

Branagh is famous for his film versions of William Shakespeare's plays. He started with Henry V (1989), which was highly praised. Then came the romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1993). This film starred Branagh, Thompson, Denzel Washington, and Keanu Reeves. A critic from The New York Times said Branagh made the film "triumphantly romantic, comic and... emotionally alive."

However, his horror film Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) was not as successful. It starred Branagh, Robert De Niro, and Helena Bonham Carter. Critics did not like it much. After that, he directed a smaller British comedy called In the Bleak Midwinter (1995), which got good reviews.

Branagh starred in and directed the film Hamlet (1996).

In 1995, Branagh played Iago in Othello, acting opposite Laurence Fishburne. His performance was highly praised. A critic from The New York Times said his acting was "superb."

Branagh then directed the well-known film Hamlet (1996). Many critics think it might be the best film version of Hamlet ever. The movie was very long, about four hours, and had a huge cast. It included Branagh, Kate Winslet, and Derek Jacobi. Critic Roger Ebert praised Branagh's work, saying the film "moved me, entertained me and made me feel for the first time at home." The film was nominated for four Academy Awards.

After Hamlet, Branagh took a break from directing. He acted in films by famous directors like Robert Altman and Woody Allen. He also voiced characters for radio and audiobooks. He narrated the documentary series Cold War (1998) and Walking with Dinosaurs.

Becoming an Established Director (2000–2010)

Branagh won an Emmy Award for playing Reinhard Heydrich in Conspiracy (2001).

Branagh's film Love's Labour's Lost (2000) was not a success. This paused his directing career for a bit. That same year, he voiced Miguel in the animated film The Road to El Dorado.

In 2001, he acted in the HBO film Conspiracy. He played Reinhard Heydrich, a Nazi official. The film showed the Wannsee Conference, where Nazi officials made terrible decisions. Branagh's performance was highly praised, and he won an Emmy Award.

In 2002, Branagh played Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He also played Sir Ernest Shackleton in the TV film Shackleton (2002). This film was about a famous expedition to Antarctica. He was nominated for a BAFTA and an Emmy for this role.

Branagh won the Roma Fiction Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award (2009).

Branagh has been in several TV films. One of his most praised roles was playing US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Warm Springs (2005). He was nominated for an Emmy for this role.

In 2006, Branagh directed another Shakespeare film, As You Like It. He also directed the thriller Sleuth (2007). In 2008, he played a general in the film Valkyrie.

Branagh stars as Inspector Kurt Wallander in the TV series Wallander. He also helps produce the show. He won an award for best actor for this role in 2009. The show ran until 2016. From 2008 to 2009, Branagh also starred in the play Ivanov in London. Critics called his performance "the performance of the year."

Expanding His Career (2011–2020)

Branagh played Laurence Olivier in the film My Week with Marilyn (2011).

In 2011, Branagh directed Thor, a movie based on the Marvel superhero. This film was a big success. That same year, he played the famous actor Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn (2011). A critic from The Guardian praised Branagh's performance. He was nominated for an Academy Award for this role.

In 2012, Branagh took part in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. He played Isambard Kingdom Brunel and performed a speech from Shakespeare's The Tempest. In 2013, he co-directed and starred in Macbeth at the Manchester International Festival. This show was so popular that its final performance was shown in cinemas.

In 2015, Branagh started his own theatre company, the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. He acted and managed the company. They put on several plays in London, including The Winter's Tale and Romeo and Juliet. Other famous actors like Judi Dench and Derek Jacobi joined him.

Kenneth Branagh has acted in three of Christopher Nolan's films: Dunkirk (2017), Tenet (2020), and Oppenheimer (2023).

In 2014, Branagh directed and acted in the action thriller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. The next year, he directed Disney's live-action film Cinderella (2015). This film was a big success with both audiences and critics.

In 2017, Branagh worked with director Christopher Nolan for the first time. He played a Royal Navy Commander in the World War II film Dunkirk. That same year, Branagh directed and starred as Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express.

In 2018, he directed All Is True, where he played William Shakespeare. He also directed the fantasy adventure film Artemis Fowl, released in 2020. In 2019, Branagh was cast in Christopher Nolan's film Tenet (2020), playing the villain Andrei Sator. His performance was praised.

Recent Work (2021–Present)

Shankill Road, Belfast during the Troubles in the 1970s.

In 2021, Branagh directed Belfast. This film is based on his own childhood in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The film was shot mostly in black-and-white with some color scenes. It was shown at film festivals and won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Critics loved the film. The Guardian called it "a terrific warmth and tenderness." The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and Branagh won for Best Original Screenplay. He also won a BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.

He played Hercule Poirot again in Death on the Nile (2022), which he also directed. In 2022, it was announced he would direct and star in a third Poirot film, A Haunting in Venice. Branagh also reunited with Christopher Nolan to play the physicist Niels Bohr in the film Oppenheimer (2023). That same year, Branagh returned to the stage in London. He directed and starred in King Lear by William Shakespeare. This play is also set to be performed in New York in 2024. In 2024, it was announced that Branagh would write and direct a new psychological thriller film called The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde.

Personal Life

Branagh at Roma Fiction Fest in 2009.

From 1989 to 1995, Kenneth Branagh was married to English actress Emma Thompson. They appeared together in many films and plays. After their divorce, he was in a relationship with actress Helena Bonham Carter until 1999. In 2003, he married Lindsay Brunnock, a film art director. He met her while filming Shackleton in 2002.

Branagh has said that he feels Irish. He also mentioned that he became "much more religious" after listening to Laurence Olivier read the Bible. He did this to prepare for his role as Olivier in My Week with Marilyn.

Filmography

Kenneth Branagh in London in 2011.

Awards and Honours

Kenneth Branagh has been nominated for eight Academy Awards. He is the first person to be nominated in seven different categories! His first two nominations were for Henry V (for directing and acting). He also received similar nominations for the BAFTA Awards, winning one for his directing. His first BAFTA TV award was in 2009 for Best Drama Series (Wallander). He received two more Academy Award nominations for the short film Swan Song (1992) and for writing the screenplay of Hamlet (1996). His fifth nomination was for playing Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn (2012).

In 2022, he received three more nominations for Belfast. These were his first nominations for Original Screenplay and Best Picture. He won the award for Original Screenplay. This made him the first person to be nominated in seven different Academy Award categories. He passed Walt Disney, George Clooney, and Alfonso Cuarón, who each had nominations in six categories.

He is an Honorary President of NICVA (Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action). He received an honorary degree from Queen's University of Belfast in 1990. He is also a supporter of the charity Over The Wall. He has served on the Board of Governors of the British Film Institute. In 2000, Branagh was the youngest actor to receive the Golden Quill award. In 2001, he received another honorary degree from the Shakespeare Institute.

On 10 July 2009, Branagh received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RomaFictionFest. He was also listed on the Radio Times's TV 100 power list in 2023.

He was made a Knight Bachelor in 2012 for his contributions to drama and the community in Northern Ireland. He received the honor at Buckingham Palace on 9 November 2012. Branagh said he felt "humble, elated, and incredibly lucky" to be knighted.

In October 2015, Branagh became the new President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He took over from the late Richard Attenborough. As President of RADA, he was listed as one of the most influential people in the UK in 2017. In October 2017, he was given the Freedom of the City of Belfast. He received this honor in Belfast on 30 January 2018. He also received the Freedom of the Town of Stratford-upon-Avon in 2022. Branagh stepped down as RADA president in February 2024.

Discography

• Shakespeare's Richard III (complete) for Naxos Audiobooks
• In the Ravine & Other Short Stories by Anton Chekhov (unabridged) for Naxos Audiobooks
• Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream (speaker) live recording for Sony Classical, conducted by Claudio Abbado
• The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1660–1669 (abridged) for Hodder Headline Audio Classics
• The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis for Harper Books
• Shakespeare's "Sonnet 30" for the 2002 compilation album, When Love Speaks (EMI Classics)
• Mary Shelley's Frankenstein [Abridged]
• Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness for Audible.com.
• "The Duck and the Kangaroo", read for Fairy Tales, an album of poems and music for children (orchidclassics.com)

See also

In Spanish: Kenneth Branagh para niños