Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Kenneth Branagh is a bit of a twerp?

134 replies

CrystalMcPistol · 07/08/2015 23:39

I know he's a Sir but I can't bring myself to put that in the title as 1) the honours system is a load of old hooey and 2) you just know that he refers to himself Sir Kenneth Branagh when ordering a taxi or booking a table in a restaurant. Twerp.

Also his acting is so self conscious, it's very 'look at me, someone once said in 1992 that I was the successor to Olivier's crown. I'm a Very Serious Actor don't you know'. Twerp.

And I've never enjoyed one of his films! Emma Thompson must pat herself on the back every night when she looks across the bed and sees Greg Wise lying there.

OP posts:
Vatersay · 07/08/2015 23:55

There you go Wit has met him and thinks he is .delightful..

I get that you don't like his acting but I'm struggling to see why you'd need to start a thread about it and baselessly trash his character into the bargain.

You do know you don't have to watch his work?

MrsBertMacklin · 07/08/2015 23:55

I find it weird that Professor Trelawney and Lockhart used to 'do' it

Until Lockhart started seeing Bellatrix on the side Sad

He's talented, bright and has carved himself a very distinguished career.

However he does suffer from a smug smile, which may help contribute to the feeling of twerpiness. Can't be helped, I look like I'm sneering when I'm forced to smile for photos and feel uncomfortable about it.

Egosumquisum · 07/08/2015 23:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
CrystalMcPistol · 07/08/2015 23:57

I get that you don't like his acting but I'm struggling to see why you'd need to start a thread about it and baselessly trash his character into the bargain.

I think Ken is sturdy enough to withstand my disdain.

OP posts:
LunchpackOfNotreDame · 07/08/2015 23:57

When he does a full open mouth smile his whole face lights up. His closed mouth smile looks smug and glib.

Egosumquisum · 07/08/2015 23:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rainbunny · 08/08/2015 00:04

I really like him as well, although there are a few hammy moments in his Henry V movie, where he is trying to reach for Princely gravitas and it makes me want to giggle. I also think it was a very good thing that he and Emma Thompson parted ways, they seemed a bit professionally competitive while they were married and I wonder if they would have experienced the same professional growth if they'd stayed together.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 08/08/2015 00:06

There is that Spitting Image idea of him as Ken the Luvvie which I think endures. And the press lauding him as the new Larry.
He may be lovely but that image persists.

annandale · 08/08/2015 00:08

Not with me. I still think of him as the boy from Norn Ireland advertising for pen pals in (?) Smash Hits, or was it Look In?

Whiskwarrior · 08/08/2015 00:13

I really like him too. He's a great actor and a very accomplished director.

I still have to remind myself that he directed Thor - very unluvvie film.

shizzlesandglitz · 08/08/2015 00:20

Until Lockhart started seeing Bellatrix on the side

Heck, didn't know that until reading this and thus googling for further confirmation!
Obviously not been reading enough gossip trash celeb mags enough over the recent years. Smile

I still think of him as the boy from Norn Ireland advertising for pen pals in (?) Smash Hits, or was it Look In?

annandale Did he? Used to love both those magazines.

Original poster
CrystalMcPistol · 08/08/2015 00:22

How come he doesn't have the slightest trace of a Norn Iron accent? I thought actors dropping their natural accent in favour of RP was something last heard of in the 1950s.

OP posts:
Fishwives · 08/08/2015 00:25

The family moved over to England when he was eight or so so.

Fishwives · 08/08/2015 00:27

Eight or so. Not so so. Quite young, anyway. He's talked in interviews about being bullied at his English primary school for his accent, so worked at losing it ASAP.

NewsreaderChic · 08/08/2015 00:28

I have encountered him in a regularly bumping into kind of way, he was very smiley and say Hi when passing, it took me a while to work out who he was. I reckon he's very genuine.

chipsandpeas · 08/08/2015 00:30

i weirdly have a thing for kenneth branagh....and not in his harry potter set up

MrsToddsShortcut · 08/08/2015 00:30

I love him. I can forgive him absolutely anything for giving me the sublime Much Ado About Nothing. He truly made Shakespeare accessible and I love him for that.

But, in fact, I don't need to forgive him because, in addition to Hamlet (which I saw at the theatre), Shackleton and Henry V, he made the fantastic Thor and the lovely Cinderella. I can even forgive him for Dead Again and having to watch Derek Jacobi get impaled on a giant pair of scissors.

And he is majorly silver foxing it these days. He has aged well...

achieve6 · 08/08/2015 00:31

I think he's great
His Macbeth was outstanding
Also a very multi talented guy, acting, writing, directing, producing.

I haven't met him but if I had to put money on it, I'd guess he wouldn't use the Sir much
I have met Emma Thompson. Much as I love her, i wouldn't judge anyone on the basis of a marriage not working out!

GiddyOnZackHunt · 08/08/2015 00:31

You would be lucky to detect my natural accent after moving at a similar age and the subsequent bullying.

Colandular · 08/08/2015 00:35

I dont actually know him so cant really say whether he is nice or not.

Original poster
CrystalMcPistol · 08/08/2015 00:36

I'm not fully convinced he doesn't bust out the Sir when on the phone to Npower or Domino's Pizza and I do find his acting to be a tad hammy but.............it seems this is going to be one of those tiresome situations where I'll have to admit that IABU.

Anecdotal evidence on this thread suggests he's a nice person with few twerpy traits.

Sorry Kenny.

OP posts:
MrsBertMacklin · 08/08/2015 00:44

Ben Kingsley got into the press for insisting on being called Sid. Love Roger Moore's quote at the end of this article

MrsBertMacklin · 08/08/2015 00:44

A nice person with few twerpy traits.

I think that would be as good an epitaph that most of us could hope for.

CelibacyCakeAndFuckThePO · 08/08/2015 00:45

Tch. Why do people have to be so reasonable and serious on these threads.

OP. You may never have met him, but you just know when somebody is a twerp and fact-based anecdotes can do-one.

not sure why cos I think he's an annoying, talentless cunt

Rainbunny · 08/08/2015 00:50

Ooh, I just remembered I thought he was a great Iago in Othello, he's good at the devious, malevolent thing...