Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh
Biographical information
Birth name	Kenneth Charles Branagh
Born	10 December, 1960 Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Nationality	Northern Irish
Gender	Male
Eye colour	Blue
Hair colour	Blond
Height	5' 8" 1/2
Family	Lindsay Brunnock (wife) Emma Thompson (ex-wife)
Career
Years active	1981-present
In Harry Potter	Gilderoy Lockhart
Other roles	Henry V in Henry V (1989) Mike Church/Roman Strauss in Dead Again (1991) Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (1993) Iago in Othello (1995) Hamlet in Hamlet (1996) A. O. Neville in Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) Major-General Henning von Tresckow in Valkyrie (2008) Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn (2011)

Sir Kenneth Branagh (born 10 December, 1960) is an Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated Northern Irish actor and film director. He portrayed Gilderoy Lockhart in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Branagh is well known for his Shakespeare adaptations, a number of which he co-starred in with Emma Thompson, to whom he was married from 1989 to 1995. Thompson portrays Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter films. Branagh was later involved with Helena Bonham Carter, who portrays Bellatrix Lestrange in the films.

In 2001, Branagh won an Emmy Award for the TV movie Conspiracy. His remake of Sleuth, with Michael Caine and Jude Law, was released in 2007.

Outside his Shakespeare work, Branagh has also delved into SF and fantasy, playing Dr. Frankenstein in a popular mid-90s version of the Frankenstein story, and as Dr. Loveless in a film version of the TV series The Wild Wild West. In 2011, he directed a film adaptation of the comic book superhero Thor, and appeared in My Week with Marilyn with Emma Watson, Geraldine Somerville, Toby Jones, and Zoë Wanamaker.

In 2012, he was knighted at the 2012 Birthday Honours for his services to drama and to the community in Northern Ireland.

Selected filmography

Actor

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2013	Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit	Viktor Cherevin	Supporting role as well as director
2011	My Week with Marilyn	Sir Laurence Olivier	Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor
2009	The Boat That Rocked	Sir Alistair Dormandy
2008-2010	Wallander (TV series)	Kurt Wallander	6 episodes
2008	Valkyrie	Henning von Tresckow
	10 Days to War	Colonel Tim Collins	TV Series: 1 Episode
2007	Sleuth	Other Man on TV	Uncredited
2006	American Experience (TV series documentary)	Narrator	1 episode The Man Behind Hitler
2005	Warm Springs	Franklin D. Roosevelt	TV movie
2004	Five Children and It	Uncle Albert
2002	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	Professor Gilderoy Lockhart
	Rabbit-Proof Fence	A. O. Neville
	How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog	Peter McGowan
	Shackleton	Ernest Henry Shackleton	TV mini-series
2001	Conspiracy	Reinhard Heydrich	TV movie
	Schneider's 2nd Stage	Joseph Barnett	Short Film
2000	The Road to El Dorado	Miguel	Voice Only
	Love's Labour's Lost	Berowne
1999	The Periwig-Maker	Periwig-maker	Short Film Voice Only
	Wild Wild West	Dr. Arliss Loveless
	Alien Love Triangle	Steve Chesterman	Short Film
1998	The Gingerbread Man	Rick Magruder
	The Theory of Flight	Richard	With Helena Bonham Carter.
	Celebrity	Lee Simon
	The Proposition	Father Michael McKinnon
	The Dance of Shiva	Col. Evans	Short Film
1996	Hamlet	Hamlet
1995	Othello	Iago
1994	Frankenstein	Victor Frankenstein	With Helena Bonham Carter.
1993	Much Ado About Nothing	Benedick	with Emma Thompson.
	Swing Kids	Herr Knopp, Gestapo	Uncredited
1992	Peter's Friends	Andrew Benson	with Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry.
1991	Dead Again	Roman Strauss Mike Church	Directed as well as starred. Appeared with Emma Thompson.
1989	Look Back In Anger	Jimmy Porter	TV movie
	Henry V	Henry V	Directed as well as starred. Appeared with Emma Thompson. Academy Award nomination for Best Actor
1988	Thompson	Various Roles	TV Series: 6 Episodes
	Strange Interlude	Gordan Evans	TV
1987	Fortunes of War	Guy Pringle	TV Series: 7 Episodes (with Emma Thompson)
	A Month in the Country	James Moon
	High Season	Rick
1985	Coming Through	D.H. Lawrence	TV movie
1983	To the Lighthouse	Charles Tansley	TV Series
1981	Chariots of Fire	Artist	Uncredited

Director

Year	Film	Notes
2013	Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
2011	Thor
2007	Sleuth	Also Producer Queer Lion Nominated - Golden Lion
2006	The Magic Flute	Also Writer
	As You Like It	Also Writer/Executive Producer
2003	Listening	Short Film Also Writer
2000	Love's Labour's Lost	Also Writer/Producer
1996	Hamlet	Also Writer Evening Standard British Film Award’s Special Jury Award Nominated - Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
1995	A Midwinter's Tale	Also Writer Golden Osella Nominated - Golden Lion
1994	Frankenstein	Also Co-Producer
1993	Much Ado About Nothing	Also Writer/Producer London Film Critics Circle Award for Best British Producer Nominated - Palme d'Or Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Film
1992	Swan Song	Short Film Nominated - Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
	Peter's Friends	Also Producer
1991	Dead Again	Nominated - Golden Bear
1989	Henry V	Also Writer BAFTA Award for Best Direction European Film Award for Best Director European Film Award for Best Young Film Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Film National Board of Review Award for Best Director New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best New Director Nominated - Academy Award for Best Director

External links

• Kenneth Branagh at Wikipedia
• Kenneth Branagh at the Internet Movie Database