Emma Thompson is an actress.
Emma Thompson ( born 15 April 1959 ) is a British actress , activist , author , comedienne and screenwriter . Her first film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy , and in the early 1990s she frequently collaborated with her then husband , actor and director Kenneth Branagh . The pair became popular in the British media and co-starred in several films , including Dead Again ( 1991 ) and Much Ado About Nothing ( 1993 ) . Thompson scripted and starred in Sense and Sensibility ( 1995 ) , which earned her ( among other awards ) an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay , and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress . In 2013 , she received acclaim and several award nominations for her portrayal of P. L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks .