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, to mostly negative reviews.
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. He is reportedly scheduled to direct a planned film adaptation of the comic book superhero Thor, which is expected to be one of the films competing with the final Harry Potter movie for box office receipts in 2011.
Selected filmography
Actor
| Year | Film | Roll | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | My Week with Marilyn | Sir Laurence Olivier | Post-production |
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |
| 1993 | Much Ado About Nothing | Benedick | |
| Swing Kids | Herr Knopp, Gestapo | Uncredited | |
| 1992 | Peter's Friends | Andrew Benson | |
| 1991 | Dead Again | Roman Strauss Mike Church |
|
| 1989 | Look Back In Anger | Jimmy Porter | TV movie |
| Henry V | Henry V | ||
| 1988 | Thompson | Various Roles | TV Series: 6 Episodes |
| Strange Interlude | Gordan Evans | TV | |
| 1987 | Fortunes of War | Guy Pringle | TV Series: 7 Episodes |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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