Emma Thompson turns 55 today, so we take a look back over her relationships to mark the occasion.
Emma Thompson
Thompson was married to actor and director Kenneth Branagh, who she met back in 1987 while she was filming the TV series Fortunes of War. They married in 1989 and then appeared in several firms together- Branagh often cast her in his own movies. The couple soon secured the 'golden couple' status in the British media and their relationship was subject to a lot of press interest.
The pair tried to maintain a private relationship- attempting never to be photographed together or interviewed about one another; Branagh revealed the reason why in 1993: "I don't want people buying into some kind of Burton-Taylor double-act thing." (Wikipedia)
In 1995, the pair announced that he had broken- up citing work as their reason for the demise of their relationship; " Our work has inevitably led to our spending long periods away from each other and, as a result, we have drifted apart."
Thompson them lived alone for a while after their split and revealed that she became depressed at this time. She opened up in an interview admitting that the Sense and Sensibility screen play was the one thing that prevented her from 'going under in a very nasty way.' (Wikipedia)
While filming the movie, she met and began dating Greg Wise whom she also publically thanked for bringing her out from some of her darkest moments; "Work saved me and Greg saved me. He picked up the pieces and put them together again." (Wikipedia)
The couple had a daughter in 1999, Gaia, when Thompson was 39 after receiving IVF treatment and have attempted to have more children, however the IVF was unsuccessful a second time around.
They married in Dunoon and now live in West Hampstead, London on the same road as Thompson lived when she was little.
In 2003, the pair adopted a Rwandan orphan after they met at a Refugee Council event when he was 16. They invited him over to spend Christmas at their home and Thompson said that "he became a sort of permanent fixture, came on holiday to Scotland with us, and became part of the family. I couldn't have more children, and that was hard; but perhaps if I had [had more], I'd have missed out on this extra act of mothering that I've had with Tindy." (Wikipedia)
Happy Birthday Emma!