Show 81 L OI J I I I I I I I I U FELT THAT THIS FIRST Lady strong intelligent woman who very much loves her husband” Emma Thompson said explaining grew up in Hampstead adutrict of north London in a household a love ror mean joebanter and impromptu skits ing 1 The atmosphere wasn't at all how she approached her preaouiniougn iiioDpioBir listed Tt was Just very comfortable and tolerant and above all amusing about everything" ill Hillary Ointoo-likechaiac-- in the ter Primary un Colon "She accepts his strange quality diat leads him to do stu- Tiverytfaing” included taking care pid things that cause her tremendous of her father who suffered bom a pain I also understood how she could severe heart condition as well as em-path- ic put that pain aside since she has always been a crusader and feels that penonal problems pale in comparison to making the worid a better place” We were having tea in her Beverly Klls hotel bungalow and I sensed that Thompson had found what she called “the psychic resonance" with her latest role because she loo had survived some nursing Thompson's grandmother who had tenninal cancer and her unde who had been severely injured in an auto accident : "But my parents always lightened the mood” Thompson said In die face of real difficulties like dis- ease disability and death they coped with wit and a sense of fim dark times in recent yean including the highly publicized demise of her marriage to Kenneth Branagh But the Academy Award- films include Carrington Sense and Sensibility Howards End sad Much Ado About Noth-faghas kept her spirits — high and her career in focus and I wondered what had brought her through her own difficulties "I think I found reserves of strength in the way I wu brought up" she replied "My father was ill during most of my childhood but those years were never dark and dreary My parents believed humor could cany you through the worst of times and our home was usualfy filled with Inghtec” Emma was born on April IS 1959 the elder of two daughters of Phyllida Law an actress and Erie Thompson an actorhwiteBWiwciocSheandhCryouag- er sister Sophie (an actress as well) coves maroGSAMsr slum ums For them the important thing wu to laugh even when you fob like crying" When Thompson was in her teens her father suffered a severe stroke Her mother cared for him at home and the two a u u a a A M IHlWInMOila Wub IMHyWfW PCipCfl "My father was very breve during his rttuggie to recover" Thompson recalind1 her eyes welling with tears "Sometimes I may have pushed him too hard I so wanted him to get better But at other times I was just happy dirt I could make him laugh with skits I performed from the Monty Python shows that we had watched together” smar mselcaudill: clothing ha-ta-- Despite their efforts her father died in 1982 when he was only 52 "It was trough time especially for my mum” Thompson continued "Still one good thing came out of it We had all been colleagues caring for my father and so my sister andlhad dispensed with slot of the usual motherdaoghter stuff like teeaagerebellions As a result we developed a wanderfol friendship with my mother She wasarealinapiirtion form” After graduating from a private girls' school in London Thompaon studied English literature at Cambridge University where her love for humor led her to an acting career First she found- ed an aBfonude romedy revue then she tried out and was accepted as one of the few women in Foodigbts the university comedy dub that booted such accomplished alumni is John Cleese of Monty Python feme After graduating in 1982 Thompson wem on to do stand-u- p comedy in London dubs and on British television then stint as the lead in the to a musical comedy Me and My Giri Her crossover to "serious" drama came in 1966 when die was cretin the TV mini-aeries Fortunes efHar It was also dur- lS-mo- |