Dame Emma Thompson is a British actress and screenwriter known for her roles on stage and screen. She has received several awards throughout her career including two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and one Primetime Emmy Award. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 for her services to drama.
She is the only person in Academy Award history to win for both acting and writing, she won the Best Actress for playing Margaret Schlegel in the Merchant Ivory period drama Howards End (1992) and Best Adapted Screenplay for the Ang Lee directed Sense and Sensibility (1995). She is also one of 12 actors to have received two acting nominations in the same year. She was Oscar-nominated for playing a housemaid in The Remains of the Day (1993), Gareth Peirce in In the Name of the Father (1993), and Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility (1995).
For her work on television, she has received seven Emmy Award nominations, winning Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her guest spot on Ellen (1998). She was Emmy-nominated for playing professor with cancer in the HBO film Wit (2001), various roles in the HBO miniseries Angels in America (2003), a former lover in the BBC film The Song of Lunch (2010), Mrs. Lovett in a taping of Sweeney Todd: Live from Lincoln Center (2014), and as a host of Saturday Night Live (2019). She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for Fortunes of War / Tutti Frutti (1987).
Major associations Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1992Best Actress Howards End 1993 The Remains of the Day Best Supporting Actress In the Name of the Father1995 Best Actress Sense and Sensibility Best Adapted Screenplay
BAFTA Awards Year Category Nominated work Result British Academy Film Awards1992Best Actress in a Leading Role Howards End 1993 The Remains of the Day 1995 Sense and Sensibility Best Adapted Screenplay2003 Best Actress in a Supporting Role Love Actually2013Best Actress in a Leading Role Saving Mr. Banks2022 Good Luck to You, Leo Grande British Academy Television Awards 1987 Best Actress Fortunes of War / Tutti Frutti
Emmy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 1998 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Ellen (episode: "Emma") 2001 Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or MovieWitOutstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie 2004 Angels in America 2012 The Song of Lunch 2015 Sweeney Todd: Live from Lincoln Center 2019 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Saturday Night Live ("Emma Thompson/Jonas Brothers")
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1993Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Howards End 1994 The Remains of the Day Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture In the Name of the Father 1995 Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Junior 1996 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – DramaSense and Sensibility Best Screenplay – Motion Picture 2002 Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Wit 2009 Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Last Chance Harvey 2014 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Saving Mr. Banks 2020Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Late Night 2023 Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Grammy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1994 Best Spoken Word Album Howards End 2011 Best Spoken Word Album for Children Nanny McPhee Returns
Independent Spirit Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1991 Best Supporting Female Impromptu 1993 Best Female Lead Much Ado About Nothing
Screen Actors Guild Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1995 Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading RoleSense and Sensibility Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture 2001Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Wit 2003 Angels in America 2009 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture An Education 2013 Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role Saving Mr. Banks
Critics awards Organizations Year Category Work Result AARP Movies for Grownups Awards 2023 Best ActressGood Luck to You, Leo Grande British Independent Film Awards 2022 Best Joint Lead Performance Broadcast Film Critics Association 1995 Best Actress Sense and Sensibility / Carrington Best Screenplay Sense and Sensibility 2001 Best Actress in a Picture Made for Television Wit 2006 Best Supporting Actress Stranger than Fiction 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks 2019 Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Years and Years Chicago Film Critics Association 1992 Best Actress Howards End Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks Denver Film Critics Society 2013 Best Actress Dublin Film Critics' Circle 2013 Best Actress Hollywood Critics Association 2022 Best Actress (Midseason Awards) Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Houston Film Critics Society 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks Kansas City Film Critics Circle 1992 Howards End 1993 The Remains of the Day Best Supporting Actress In the Name of the Father London Film Critics' Circle 1996 Best British Screenwriter Sense and Sensibility 2003Best British Supporting Actress Love Actually 2006 Stranger than Fiction 2008 Brideshead Revisited 2013 Best British Actress of the Year Beautiful Creatures, Saving Mr. Banks Las Vegas Film Critics Society 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks Los Angeles Film Critics Association 1992 Best Actress Howards End 1995 Best Screenplay Sense and Sensibility National Board of Review 1992Best Actress Howards End 1995 Carrington / Sense and Sensibility 2013 Saving Mr. Banks National Society of Film Critics 1992 Best Actress Howards End New York Film Critics Circle 1992 Best Actress 1995 Best Screenplay Sense and Sensibility North Carolina Film Critics Association 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks Phoenix Film Critics Society 2013 2013 Best Cast San Diego Film Critics Society 2013 Best Actress Southeastern Film Critics Association 1992 Best Actress Howards End St. Louis Film Critics Association 2013 Saving Mr. Banks WDCAFC Awards 2013 Best Actress
Miscellaneous awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks 2022 Best ActressGood Luck to You, Leo Grande Best Daring Performance Annie Award 2002 Voice Acting in a Feature Treasure Planet Awards Circuit Community Award 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks Boston Society of Film Critics 1992Best Actress Howards End 1995Best Screenplay Sense and SensibilityCapri Hollywood International Film Festival 2022Best European ActressGood Luck to You, Leo Grande Empire Awards 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks European Film Awards 1997 Best Actress The Winter Guest Gold Derby Award 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks IGN Award 2013 Best Movie Actress Saving Mr. Banks National Board of Review 1992Best Actress Howards End 1995 Sense and Sensibility 2013 Saving Mr. BanksSatellite Awards 2001 Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Wit 2003 Best Supporting Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Angels in America 2003 Best Supporting Actress Love Actually 2008 Brideshead Revisited 2013Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks Saturn Awards 2006 Best Supporting Actress Stranger than Fiction 2013 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks Venice International Film Festival 1997 Best Actress The Winter Guest Writers Guild of America Awards 1995 Best Adapted Screenplay Sense and Sensibility Attenborough UK Film Award 2013 Best On Screen Duo Saving Mr. Banks Kermode Award 2014 Best Actress Saving Mr. Banks 78th Locarno Film Festival 2025 Leopard Club Award Her work in the film industry has left its mark on the collective imagination.
See also List of British actors List of Academy Award winners and nominees from Great Britain List of Academy Award records List of actors with Academy Award nominations List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories List of Primetime Emmy Award winners List of Golden Globe winners References