Humorously suggesting a potentially influential romance, Emma Thompson muses about altering American history if she had accepted a date with Donald Trump.
As the 78th edition of the Locarno International Film Festival kicked off, British actress Emma Thompson was honoured with the Leopard Club Award prize. During a talk at the festival, Thompson shared an amusing anecdote from her past, a conversation with Donald Trump that occurred in 1998.
At the time, Thompson was filming the political comedy Primary Colours, a movie loosely based on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. The irony was not lost on Thompson when, on the very day her divorce from Kenneth Branagh was finalised, she received a call from Donald Trump, who had just split from his second wife, Marla Maples.
Trump asked Thompson out for dinner, inviting her to stay at one of his houses. Thompson politely declined, jokingly suggesting that if she had said yes, it "might have changed the course of American history."
Thompson described finding Trump's trailer phone number during filming as "stalking" and speculated that Trump was looking for a divorced woman like herself. The anecdote, which Thompson shared previously in 2017, adds a personal touch to the political landscape of the time.
Reflecting on the film's popularity, Thompson stated it is a constant source of astonishment to her. Two years ago, a debate was held on the website Culture office about whether Love Actually, another of Thompson's notable works, is a "charming Christmas-themed Canterbury Tales" or "infuriating turtleneck porn about a moron who doesn't back up his novel."
The Locarno Film Festival runs until the 16th of August 2025, providing a platform for film enthusiasts to enjoy a variety of films and engaging discussions. Skavlan, during the interview, joked that Thompson could have been the First Lady and potentially stopped Donald Trump. However, the anecdote serves as a reminder of a unique moment in history, rather than a prediction of what could have been.
In the realm of pop-culture, Thompson's anecdote about Donald Trump, shared during the Locarno International Film Festival, offers an entertaining glimpse into the past, involving celebrities and their personal lives amidst political landscape changes. When discussing films like Primary Colours and Love Actually, Thompson's work often sparks heated debates in pop-culture discussions, reflecting the varied opinions held by admirers of entertainment.
