Emma Thompson: Live webchat, Wednesday 2 October, 8.15-9.15pm

[RachelMumsnet]

To celebrate the publication of Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit, Oscar-winning actress, screenwriter and children's author Emma Thompson is joining us for a webchat on Wednesday 2 October at 8.15pm. The book is Emma's second tale about the iconic blue-coated rabbit; The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit marked the first Beatrix Potter tale to be published since 1930.

Join Emma for a webchat on Wednesday eve at 8.15 pm or post a question to her in advance on this thread.

[EmmaThompson]

@cranberryorange

Emma, another massive fan of yours here!

Have you ever turned down a role that you later regretted and which character would you most like to play now if you had the chance?

Yes, I have, but I can't tell you what ones because I'll have to go home and take an overdose. Regret is a very unwise emotion. Who I'd like to most play now if I had the chance –I'm thinking of doing an action movie, what do you think? Getting very very buff... And not necessarily having a gun but being sly and whiley and running around a lot. I fancy that!

[down2earthwithabump]

Hello Emma Thompson. It is an honour indeed to be in your virtual presence. I am really so in awe of you and have loved all your films, or at least I can't think of one I haven't enjoyed. When I was a teenager my friends said that your character in Peter's friends summed me up... the bit where your character threw all the presents in a somewhat socially awkward way because no-one else had remembered.

If I was to have a fantasy friends coffee then you'd definitely be invited along with other famous women who I consider strong leads for my generation (along with Annie Lennox among others). You obviously like Beatrix Potter, or at least her stories... but I was wondering whether there were any strong women that you'd invite for a fantasy friend's coffee, that you haven't yet had the opportunity of meeting, or even those whose company you can't get enough of.

Who are your inspirational women?

[EmmaThompson]

@Willemdefoeismine

I have watched Sense and Sensibility about three times in the past three months. I just can't get enough of it! It's just brilliant!

Emma, of your main and varied films what is your favourite role and why (if it's not impertinent to ask!)?

Also who do you particularly rate as actors, loved ones excepted?!

Many thanks!

My favourite roles... There are quite a few. I loved playing Nanny McPhee. I loved playing Margaret in Howard's End –she spoke to me particularly I think as an early feminist, and me as a die-hard feminist now. I was fascinated by her and understood her dilemmas.

I rate many actors. Gosh! I loved Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Sally Hawkins, Kate Blanchet, Kate Winslet, my sister Sophie Thompson is one of my favourite actresses (and I don't mean that in a family way!), Imelda Staunton. There are so many wonderful young actors now too.

[northernlurker]

Oooh you answered my question and said exactly what I would say too!

THANK YOU

[midwifeandmum]

Hello emma. Im trying to get my too daughters into literature. What kind of books/ authors would u recommend? Xx

Quite starstruk midwifeand mum lol xxxx

[gazzalw]

I'm hellishly impressed at the rate at which you're getting thro' the questions, Emma....

[EmmaThompson]

@gwenniebee

I was taken to see S&S by my cousin when I was 12 and it had just come into the cinema.... there began my love affair with both Austen and Thompson :)

I have just listened to your interview on Midweek and was very interested that you said you would love to go into schools and talk to young people (as opposed to going into parliament and talking to old ones ). If you did, what would you say?

Well I went into a school near me to do a talk about work and my life. All the work I've done, the comedy, the writing, everything., It was jolly good fun. At the end I was struck because the young head mistress asked me if I would come back because these girls have no role models apart from their mums. Out there in the public there are no role models for them... I started to think about that and I was very taken aback and saddened. But actually when you start to think about the cult of celebrity, so much attention is being paid to emptiness these days, that it's probably quite difficult to find people who are speaking with any kind of muscular integrity and intelligence, especially in the arenas of media that are commonly accessible. TV mainly I guess I was interested in that and I thought grass-roots discussion with young people is absolutely vital and I've always fancied that idea. Almost going on the road with a bus and doing a research project about young women and where they want to go. I had a fascinated discussion with a young woman who's just won a prize for carpentry. I think she's the first to win it. She was telling me how difficult it was for a friend of hers to become an electrician. She went and did an apprenticeship with a master electrician who told her she was one of the best, but unfortunately people don't trust women with electricity! That's something we need to change.

[EmmaThompson]

@midwifeandmum

Hello emma. Im trying to get my too daughters into literature. What kind of books/ authors would u recommend? Xx

Quite starstruk midwifeand mum lol xxxx

How old are they?

[motherofmuddles]

Thank you Emma, wise words

[Bunnygirlie]

Hey Emma, love your work.

Do you have a fav film role that you would like to have a go at?

[midwifeandmum]

Thankyou for your answer emma. Dd1 is 4 and dd2 is 18 months. Dd2 is named after u lol. Xxx

[EmmaThompson]

@blondieminx

Emma thanks for coming to MN - I am a HUGE fan too!

I just wanted to say that scene in Love Actually "you've made a mockery of the life I lead" is amazing. Powerful stuff.

What is the most random/funniest sentence you have ever had to utter to a child? I say this having had to tell my daughter aged 2 not to lick the cat...!

I hope you continue to get lots of lovely roles. I always love your films

It'll be something like "is that really where you want to put your shoe?!"

[nobutreally]

I know we're not meant to have another question, but this is a BP one.

Other than Peter, who else would you like to take on?
I'd love to know more about some of the characters we only meet in Apply Dappleys' Nursery Ryhmes - Where does the black rabbit get those carrots? Where is the guinea pig going in his blue tie?

[EmmaThompson]

@tinypumpkin

Oooh, too hard as Emma is just truly amazing.

What has been the most difficult thing you have done in your varied career and why?

The most difficult thing by far was stand-up comedy. I did it on and off, occasionally earning money, but mainly for political benefit! In 1984 during the mining strike I was on a bill in London with French and Saunders, and I was standing back stage waiting to go on and I was so frightened I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I then thought, maybe this isn't the role for me! I always thought I would be a comedian, I thought I could be Lilly Tomlin or someone like that, and I sometimes wonder again about doing a show like that with lots of lots of different characters all tied in with what it's about to be human. I think it's a young persons game, you need to have the energy. I think the naked narcisim is too much now. Stand-up is a fine and exqusite form and I admire people that do it with all my heart – the great ones.

[Badvoc]

Thanks Emma! :)
You are such a talented writer, can't wait to get the new book.
If you had to chose which would you prefer to spend the rest of your career doing - Acting or writing?

[EmmaThompson]

@TheNaughtySausage

OMG, Emma Thompson!

You are just brilliant. As is your whole family. And your sister is very funny.

Ok, enough crawly bumlicky. My question is this: would you like to come round for a cup of tea and a bun? I make lovely carrot cake and I have got a delicious squishy baby you can snuggle.

Or - which do you prefer, writing or acting?

Or - is there any particular role you have always dreamt of playing and haven't yet?

Or - what is your favourite cheese?

I like both because they're so different. Acting is easier than writing sometimes. Writing is solitary and demanding and often quite depressing because it takes so long and you get it wrong so often. Acting's about letting go, writing is about the disapline of pulling your chair up to the writing desk. There is nothing else but that...

[FutureMum]

Hi there,

Like others, I really appreciate your films, but the one thing that always comes to my mind first after I read it is the story of your son's adoption. He is so lucky, as I am sure you are very loving and supportive parents. Great stuff.
My question is: Which actors have inspired you to develop your career? (Just wondering if it may be The One that I named my daughter after, in the hope that it will inspire her to be independent, resourceful, strong, inspiring to others.)

Thank you!

[tinypumpkin]

Thanks Emma, really interesting. Working with French and Saunders must have been great as well as anxiety inducing!

[EmmaThompson]

@midwifeandmum

Thankyou for your answer emma. Dd1 is 4 and dd2 is 18 months. Dd2 is named after u lol. Xxx

How lovely to have a beautiful child named after me. I'm thrilled. Read to them. Read things that you like. Don't worry about them reading for a bit, children don't have to start reading until quite late on I think. I think it's nice to be read to and I wish I had insisted on reading to my daughter for longer before she thrusted me to the side. I think it's so valuable to take something that you love and read it. That's what I'd say to do now. Later, just leave things lying around the house. Or better, leave the books you really want them to read just out of reach!

[midwifeandmum]

Thankyou very much for ur reply Emma. Hubby, daughters and I are massive fans. Ur a real inspiration and such a grounded lady

Zoe xx

[EmmaThompson]

@Bicnod

Hi Emma, thanks for coming to talk to us.

I think you are fabulous

I met you a couple of times when I worked for a charity you have been extremely supportive of. My wonderful driver in Ethiopia drove you the previous year (and also sang your praises).

My question is: where in the world would you most like to visit (or revisit) and why?

I would like to go back to Burma. I went recently with my son on an ActionAid trip. The place itself, because it was still quite closed was inconceivably interesting. Very patriarchal. I'd love to go out there and meet some of the young activists that I met there. Fascinating.

[EmmaThompson]

@LovesBeingOnHoliday

Emma I love you. You are fab.

Anywho what advice would you give your younger self?

Don't ever go on a diet. Just don't. Walk away. From the diet. Ignore the books. Ignore the magazines. Make the diet the D word. Diets are the spawn of satan.

[EmmaThompson]

@TheStitchWitch

OMG another massive fan here.

I would love to know how you keep yourself looking so fabulous, I'm 39 and I would love to look half as good as you.

Always on a diet. I'm on a diet now. Endless diets.

[EmmaThompson]

@IHeartKingThistle

Sorry sorry, I know I'm on the thread already but I've just watched the deleted scenes from Love Actually on YouTube (with the son getting in trouble) and I loved them! I feel a bit like I've just found an extra Malteser in a pack I thought was empty!

I wrote another Nanny McPhee called Nanny McPhee in Space and they said it was too expensive. Do you think that if we got all the Mumsnet people together and raised the money they'd think again?!

@IHeartKingThistle

That is so exciting! I'm a huge fan!

The DC and I are desperate to know if there will be a Nanny McPhee 3 even though I cry at both the others every single time .

PS I LOVED Stranger than Fiction.

I wrote another Nanny McPhee called Nanny McPhee in Space and they said it was too expensive. Do you think that if we got all the Mumsnet people together and raised the money they'd think again?!

[spixblue]

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