Kenneth Branagh

Originally cast as the lead in Amadeus before the production company decided on casting American actors in the leading roles.

Educated at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), London

Grew up in poverty in the shadow of a tobacco factory in Belfast.

At age 23, he became the youngest actor in the Royal Shakespeare Company to ever play the lead in Shakespeares "Henry V".

Co-founded the Renaissance Theatre Company with David Parfitt , with Prince Charles as a royal patron.

Youngest actor to receive the Golden Quill (Gielgud Award), 2000.

He allegedly declined the C.B.E. (Commander of the order of the British Empire) in 1994.

He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1983 (1982 season) for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in "Another Country".

Was one of the directors considered for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . He had appeared in the previous film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets .

He was nominated for a 2004 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actor of 2003 for his performance in "Edmond" at the Royal National Theatre: Olivier Stage.

He was awarded the 1988 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Special Award.

He was nominated for a 2004 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in "Edmond" at the Royal National Theatre.

Claims that Derek Jacobi is the reason he got into acting, and thus Jacobi became a frequent collaborator with him in most of his movies.

Was age 15 when he first saw "Hamlet" performed.

A Member of the RADA Council.

Appeared with Campbell Scott in Dead Again . Scott later starred in and co-directed Hamlet (2000/II) , and Branagh later starred in and directed Hamlet .

Wrote many of the In the Bleak Midwinter characters for specific actors.

He was one of the guests at Prince Charles s and Camilla Parker-Bowles wedding on 9 April 2005.

Is a vice-president of Chichester Cinema at New Park. Maggie Smith and Anita Roddick are also vice-presidents.

In 1990, he received an honorary doctorate in Literature from Queens University (located in Belfast, Northern Ireland).

Former son-in-law of Phyllida Law and Eric Thompson.

To date , he has appeared as the title character in five films: Henry V , Mary Shelleys Frankenstein , Hamlet , "Shackleton" , "Wallander" .

Was considered for the role of Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs .

Ex-brother-in-law of Sophie Thompson and Richard Lumsden.

He can speak Italian.

He can play guitar, piano and tap.

He and his ex-wife, Emma Thompson , have appeared in separate films in the Harry Potter series. Branagh played Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , and Thompson played Sybil Trelawney in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . Depending on what has been cut from the script for the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix could be the first time both have appeared together in the same film since their divorce. Also appearing in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is his ex-girlfriend, Helena Bonham Carter.

Shares two film roles with Laurence Olivier : Henry V and Hamlet. He and Olivier also both directed their own performances in both films. He also directed Sleuth , a remake of the 1972 film, in which Olivier starred. This time, Michael Caine played Oliviers part, while Jude Law played the second of two roles he shared with Caine - having previously appeared in Alfie . Kenneth Branagh has also played the title role in a Naxos Audiobook CD of "Richard III, by William Shakespeare , another role that Olivier also played. Branagh portrayed Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance.

The last film he made with Emma Thompson was Much Ado About Nothing . Their roles had previously been played in an earlier film by Robert Stephens and Maggie Smith , who were also a couple at the time. Branagh and Thompson appeared together in "Fortunes of War" and Henry V , which also featured Stephens, and in the Harry Potter films with Smith.

Has directed two people who have played Batman: Christian Bale in Henry V , and Michael Keaton in Much Ado About Nothing .

One of only three actors to have their names mentioned by a character in the Blackadder series, alongside Charles Chaplin ( "Blackadder Goes Forth" , and Delia Smith ( Blackadder Back & Forth ). Blackadder mentioned his name in Blackadder Back & Forth whilst talking to William Shakespeare on the topic of Hamlet.

Mentioned in the theme song for The Adventures of George the Projectionist .

Was originally considered for the part of the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace .

Won the 2004 Evening Standard Theatre Award as Best Actor for his performance as the title character in Edmond at the Royal National Theatre.

Nominated for the 2009 Evening Standard Theatre Award as Best Actor in a play for his role as Ivanov in the play Ivanov at Wyndhams Theatre in London as part of the Donmar West End Season.

Has directed many other Harry Potter cast members in his own movies. Ex-wife Emma Thompson appeared with him in Henry V , Dead Again , and Much Ado About Nothing . Robbie Coltrane appeared in Henry V . Julie Christie and Timothy Spall appeared in Hamlet . Imelda Staunton appeared in Much Ado About Nothing . John Cleese , Robert Hardy , and Helena Bonham Carter appeared in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein .

Middle brother of William Branagh Jr. and Joyce Branagh.

Was considered for the role of Paul Smecker in The Boondock Saints . The role ultimately went to Willem Dafoe.

Often circles the camera around his actors when they are performing a monologue or having a conversation in one of his Shakespearean films.

He was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Queens Birthday Honours List for his services to Drama and to the community in Northern Ireland.

He has been a fan of "Thor" since childhood. When Marvel Studios selected Branagh as the director of the film adaptation, they sent him the complete collection of the Marvel Thor comics series as reference material for the character.

His top ten films of all time are: Napolon vu par Abel Gance , Citizen Kane , Brief Encounter , Black Narcissus , The Third Man , The Searchers , Manhattan , Raging Bull , Tootsie and Au revoir les enfants .

Was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on November 9, 2012 at Buckingham Palace.

Was involved as director for a while in the early stages of production of Dragonheart.

(June 2012) Berkshire, England: Actor

(March 2008) Filming scenes for Richard Curtis The Boat That Rocked .

Filming his scenes for Bryan Singer s movie Valkyrie on location in Germany.

(November 2004) Filming Warm Springs in Georgia and Atlanta, USA, playing Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Filming his scenes for TV series "10 Days to War" on location in Jordan.

(April 2008) Filming and producing the three part "Wallander" series for BBC TV, on location in Sweden. The series is based on three of the Kurt Wallander novels by Swedish writer Henning Mankell. The three novels on which the series is based are called: "Sidetracked", "One Step Behind" and "Firewall".

Release of the book, "Ken & Em: A Biography of Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson" by Ian Shuttleworth.

He has two roles in common with Laurence Olivier , whom he played in My Week with Marilyn : (1) Olivier played King Henry V in The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fifth with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France while Branagh played him in Henry V and Olivier played the title character in Hamlet while Branagh played him in Hamlet . In each case, Olivier and Branagh directed the relevant film.

He has directed Jimmy Yuill in seven films: Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Mary Shelleys Frankenstein , Hamlet , Loves Labours Lost , The Magic Flute and As You Like It .

He directed Richard Briers in nine films: Henry V , Peters Friends , Swan Song , Much Ado About Nothing , Mary Shelleys Frankenstein , In the Bleak Midwinter , Hamlet , Loves Labours Lost and As You Like It .

He has directed Derek Jacobi in five films: Henry V , Dead Again , Hamlet , Cinderella and Murder on the Orient Express .

He directed his then wife Emma Thompson in four films: Henry V , Dead Again , Peters Friends and Much Ado About Nothing .

He has directed Brian Blessed in four films: Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet and As You Like It .

He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn . Olivier himself was nominated for the award for his role as Dr. Christian Szell in Marathon Man .

Despite having lived in England for the majority of his life and being associated closely with it, he considers himself more Irish than English.

He made two films with Robert Sean Leonard in 1993: Swing Kids and Much Ado About Nothing .

He has directed Alex Lowe in three films: Peters Friends , Much Ado About Nothing and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein .

Although he played Cherie Lunghi s son in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein , he is only eight years her junior in real life.

To date, he is the last actor to have received an Academy Award nomination for his role in a Shakespearean film. He was nominated for Best Actor for playing the title character in Henry V , which he also directed.

He has directed Richard Clifford in five films: Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Mary Shelleys Frankenstein , Loves Labours Lost and As You Like It .

Is one of 13 actors who have received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of a real-life king. The others in chronological order are Charles Laughton for The Private Life of Henry VIII. , Robert Morley for Marie Antoinette , Basil Rathbone for If I Were King , Laurence Olivier for The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fifth with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France and Richard III , Jos Ferrer for Joan of Arc , Yul Brynner for The King and I , John Gielgud for Becket , Peter OToole for Becket and The Lion in Winter , Robert Shaw for A Man for All Seasons , Richard Burton for Anne of the Thousand Days , Nigel Hawthorne for The Madness of King George , and Colin Firth for The Kings Speech .

Of his fifteen directorial efforts, only three - Dead Again , Peters Friends and In the Bleak Midwinter - were not based on preexisting material: (1) Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet , Loves Labours Lost and As You Like It were all adaptations of plays by William Shakespeare , Mary Shelleys Frankenstein was an adaptation of Mary Shelley s 1818 novel "Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus", The Magic Flute was based on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart s 1791 opera "Die Zauberflte", (4) Sleuth was an adaptation of the 1970 play of the same name by Anthony Shaffer , (4) Thor was based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, (5) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was based on the "Jack Ryan" novel series by Tom Clancy , (6) Cinderella was based on Charles Perrault s fairy tale of the same name and, more directly, Cinderella and (7) Murder on the Orient Express was based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie.

He has appeared in every film that he has directed except for In the Bleak Midwinter , As You Like It , The Magic Flute , Thor and Cinderella .

Along with Orson Welles , Laurence Olivier , Woody Allen , Warren Beatty , Clint Eastwood and Roberto Benigni , he is one of only seven men to receive Academy Award nominations for both Best Actor and Best Director for the same film: Welles for Citizen Kane , Olivier for Hamlet , Allen for Annie Hall , Beatty for both Heaven Can Wait and Reds , Branagh for Henry V , Eastwood for both Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby , and Benigni for La vita bella .

He has no children from either of his marriages.

In 2015, he programmed a season of work at Londons Garrick Theatre under the auspices of the Kenneth Brannagh Theatre Company.

He has directed Gerard Horan in five films: Much Ado About Nothing , Mary Shelleys Frankenstein , In the Bleak Midwinter , As You Like It and Cinderella .

Born on the same date as Michael Schoeffling.

I feel more Irish than English. I feel freer than British, more,visceral, with a love of language. Shot through with fire in some way.

I think the best actors are the most generous, the kindest, the greatest,people and at their worst they are vain, greedy and insecure.

My definition of success is control.

Friendship is one of the most tangible things in a world which offers,fewer and fewer supports.

There is some mysterious thing that goes on whereby, in the process of,playing Shakespeare continuously, actors are surprised by the way the,language actually acts on them.

[on taking up smoking at the age of 34, at a time when his career was in,the doldrums] A daft late start on that one.

Adults are just children who earn money.

Being Irish, I always had this love of words.

Variety is very, very good. Going from medium to medium, if you get the chance to do it, from theater to television to film, which are all distinctly different, keeps me sharp.

Friendship is one of the most tangible things in a world which offers fewer and fewer supports.

To look out of a car in Scania, you see a painting on the horizontal - one windmill, one tiny farmhouse, acres of beet or grass.

My definition of success is control.

I think that short films often contain an originality, a creative freedom, an energy and an invention that is inspiring and entertaining. I think they are, as Shakespeare put it, a good deed in a naughty world. .