Kenneth Branagh is a world-famous Northern Irish actor and director. A great lover of theater and Shakespeare, the actor has never hesitated to bring the great classics of English literature to the screen. He is also known for his famous interpretation of “Hamlet” in 1998, as well as his acting talent in “Beaucoup de Bruit pour rien!
Kenneth Branagh – Melinda Seckington – cc
Kenneth Branagh was born on December 10, 1960 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He grew up in a complicated context, marked by sectarian conflicts and the Troubles, a period when Northern Ireland’s communities were torn apart over the question of the territory’s belonging to Great Britain. (a sensitive subject, which prompted Kenneth Branagh to release the film “Belfast” in 2021, about his own childhood).
He lived there until he was 9. He soon developed a passion for theater and literature, which led him to study at London’s prestigiousRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art.
After completing his studies, Branagh was cast in a number of plays, and his breakthrough came when he played Henry V for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). At the age of 23, he was considered England’s most promising young talent.
After several years acting for RSC, Kenneth Branagh decided to set up his own company: the Renaissance Theatre Company. After a difficult start and several failures, the company made a name for itself with major works such as “Twelfth Night”, “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Hamlet”. Reviews have been enthusiastic, and Branagh has even been hailed as “the new Laurence Olivier”.
In 1989, the young man met Emma Thompson, whom he married the same year. The couple became a showbiz power couple.
Branagh soon decided to try his hand at cinema, adapting the play Henry V for the big screen, with Gérard Depardieu as producer. The film was a worldwide success, and positive reviews hailed Branagh’s talent as an actor and director.
Encouraged by this initial success, Branagh followed up with Dead Again in 1991, Peter’s Friend in 1992, and “Much Ado About Nothing” in 1993. Kenneth Branagh works with Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washingon and his own wife, Emma Thompson. However, his 1994 film “Mary Shelley’s Frankeinstein”, starring Robert De Niro, was his first major failure.
Branagh refused to be discouraged, however, and embarked on a series of projects, including Othello in 1995, when he divorced Emma Thompson.
However, 1996 was the year of consecration with the filming of Hamlet, in which Kenneth Branagh juggled the hats of actor, director, producer and stage director. He won numerous awards for this film.
Tired, he went on to play simple roles, preferring the direction of other directors. Wishing to diversify, Branagh opted for atypical roles, breaking with his Shakespeare-loving image to star in Wild Wild West and Harry Potter, the Chamber of Secrets.
He is also a prolific filmmaker, not hesitating to mix genres: Thor, Belfast…
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