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MNHQ

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

206 replies

RachelMumsnet · 30/09/2013 12:24

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.

OP posts:
EmmaThompson · 02/10/2013 21:00

@PersonalClown

Ooooh I loved you in Harry Potter, MIB3 and I think we all love the Joni Mitchell scene in Love Actually.

Is it wrong to ask if Stephen Fry is as lovely as he seems and did you really lock all the doors on him and come down the stair naked?? (As you said on QI)

I did, yeah. It was great. I walked down the stairs and Stephen battered about the hall like a bird in a porch, desperately trying to get away from me and covering his eyes. It was heaven.

EmmaThompson · 02/10/2013 21:01

@NeverKnowinglyUnderstood

Emma, sorry to be a bit off piste but did you swoon as I did over Denzel Washington in leather trousers in Italy?

They were all in leather trousers! I swooned over all the leather trousers! Blue or black... Keanu for heavens sakes! Beautiful Keanu. I saw him in Toronto at a film festival a few weeks ago and he looked exactly the same... Lovely boy.

aufaniae · 02/10/2013 21:02

Do you need anyone to play your daughter?

My friend is an actor (she trained at LAMDA) I've always thought she looks like you, and would be great cast as your daughter.

A very random and shameless plug I know, but I've always hoped for a chance to ask you, and hey this is mumsnet so slightly topical I guess Grin

SpottyDottie · 02/10/2013 21:04

Thank you for answering my question. Smile

My best friend and I will have been friends for 40 years next year. I absolutely agree with your comment about older friendships. I'd say we know everything there is to know about each other.....and still like each other Grin

dottyaboutstripes · 02/10/2013 21:05

Did you notice someone trying to take a sneaky pic at heathrow after returning from Toronto last month but it wasn't so sneaky as the flash went off? That was my husband and he was ever so excited by it Grin

gwenniebee · 02/10/2013 21:05

Thank you for answering my question :) I agree entirely about modern "empty" celebrity...

DebbieReynolds · 02/10/2013 21:06

Hi Emma

Just wanted to say, beautifully put, regarding Alan Rickman's character in Love Actually, and everything you've said about our (probably unrealistic) expectations regarding fidelity. Relieved that this is coming from an intelligent, respected feminist.

Where do you think this so-called Cult of Celebrity (aka known as: not understanding that the reason why people become famous is because they are very good at something) is coming from?

Is there anything we can do to get through to young people that it's about doing not just being? Or does it all follow Andy Warhol's prediction and must be accepted as part of life now?

Gawd, this all sounds very humourless and in earnest. Maybe I should put in a swear word at the end to try to lighten things up a bit. My favourite one is piss. Blush

NeverKnowinglyUnderstood · 02/10/2013 21:07

just to add I totally agree with the head teacher who asked you to come back.
an intelligent eloquent voice in a world of inane chatter would be an awesome thing for our daughters to hear.

MrsCampbellBlack · 02/10/2013 21:07

Emma - just to say, your performance in Love Actually was the single best thing in that film. I cried watching you smoothing those bed covers.

crunchybargalore · 02/10/2013 21:07

How do you deal with the press Emma?

Also what a brilliant web chat - Thank you for this and for all the entertainment you have provided! Smile

Jhunter5 · 02/10/2013 21:07

Hi Emma Where was your scarf from that you wore on the one show? I loved it and I will be buying your book for sure!!!

MrsCampbellBlack · 02/10/2013 21:08

I've loved you since Fortunes of War which was a couple of years back Wink

shrinkingnora · 02/10/2013 21:10

And before you go, please can I ask what you called woodlice when you were a child? We've come up with about 60 regional variants on a thread today and would love to know what yours is!

EmmaThompson · 02/10/2013 21:10

@jonicomelately

Hello Emma,

I have enormous respect for you as an actor but even more so as a writer. Why do you think there are depressingly few female writers and producers of film in the UK? It's practically impossible for the very few of us trying to get a break at present. Would you agree that the situation is slightly better in the US, and if so why do you think this is? I've had a screenplay rejected by agents (despite it being described as very well-written with a 'fantastic' female protagonist) that performed really well in several US film festival screenplay competitions (best in category etc). I know it's a really tough industry but nobody seems to be getting anywhere in the UK these days, especially us poor unfortunates based in the North. I know the economy is screwed and this is having a massive effect on film (and theatre and tv for that matter) but are we women being suffering more than our male colleagues? Do you think organisations like Bird's Eye View etc can make a difference?

I think if I'm honest that there's a lot of misogyny in the film industry. I know well older women who've lost their jobs recently or been passed over recently. Producers of enormous talent, one of whom was told it was because of the smell of dried eggs, i.e. menopause. It's so much the same old story that I'm hesitant about giving any reply. I tend to think if you're going to do anything in this industry you just have to be so much better than the guys, and then even if you are, there's resentment. This is not just the film industry I'm talking about, this happens in NGO organisations, in aid work, and of course sometimes women are very unpleasant to other women coming up. Stories about women are so rare. Films about women are so rare. We just have to keep writing them, and we just have to keep trying, whilst remaining aware of the huge challenges. I've travelled around a lot and spoken to a lot of women in a lot of different places and lines of work, and it seems clear to me that the world is simply not woman-friendly at the moment, and there's a great deal of work to be done on many fronts. But it can't be achieved only by pointing out how unbalanced and unfortunate it all is. Somewhere in my decaying brain, I know that we have to celebrate and really learn how to create a female identity. There's something about learning to create a female identity that's so positive and so irresistible, that to be a woman must feel like the best thing ever... But it's difficult to create that. It's like advertising really. There was a really good film recently called No that was about how to sell the no vote in Chile when they were trying to tell people that the dictatorship had been a bad thing. It was about getting an advertising agency on board and making it just joyful. There's something inside that idea, some seed that is intriguing me at the moment as a living and ancient feminist, who believe that women are really up against it in many parts of the world and very much here.

midwifeandmum · 02/10/2013 21:10

I think i speak on behalf of all MN's users when i say, thankyou ever so much for taking time to answer our questions.

Ur inspirational and a great role model for the young women of today.

Kindest regards
Zoe xx

EmmaThompson · 02/10/2013 21:11

@Jhunter5

Hi Emma Where was your scarf from that you wore on the one show? I loved it and I will be buying your book for sure!!!

I'm so glad you asked me! The scarf is the pattern of the endpapers of the books and it's by a company called Roam in Scotland. It's so beautiful and they make blankets and beautiful items in Scottish cashmere. It's a small company and their work is exquisite!

EmmaThompson · 02/10/2013 21:12

@dottyaboutstripes

Did you notice someone trying to take a sneaky pic at heathrow after returning from Toronto last month but it wasn't so sneaky as the flash went off? That was my husband and he was ever so excited by it Grin

That's very funny. I hope it was a nice picture! I tend to look rather grumpy in airports.

Whitershadeofpale · 02/10/2013 21:12

Thank you do much for answering Grin

Rowlers · 02/10/2013 21:13

Thanks Emma for doing the webchat so brilliantly - a hugely refeshing change!
Quick question if you have time - you are clearly well-loved (so much evidence on this thread ) so how do you stay so, well, normal, in the sleb world? Must be hard.

EmmaThompson · 02/10/2013 21:14

@shrinkingnora

And before you go, please can I ask what you called woodlice when you were a child? We've come up with about 60 regional variants on a thread today and would love to know what yours is!

How beautiful! I called it a woodlouse!

Almostfifty · 02/10/2013 21:14

I spend a lot of time looking over at your lair up here in the frozen north. I will wave next time I do.

Such an intelligent, witty woman, you've done a lot to bring women to the forefront. Well done.

shrinkingnora · 02/10/2013 21:15

Thank you! May I suggest chucky pig as an alternative should you ever get bored of wood louse. Or any of the other sixty...

EmmaThompson · 02/10/2013 21:16

@lionheart

Oh yes, so many brilliant roles. I would certainly like to channel your Nanny McFee from time to time. Smile

I sometimes read comments on the scarcity of good roles for women once they get older (which seems to mean over 25) and wonder whether you have felt the same way.

If so, do you end up thinking, 'Bugger it, if I want to play a worthy part I'm going to have to write/direct/produce it myself'?

Quite honestly, a lot of the time except on television there aren't a lot of roles even for lyoung women. Yes it's true, of course it's true. There's a very bald patch between 40 and 55 that because you're not the romantic lead anymore and you're not necessarily the mother anymore (although that's all you get offered!), I'm lucky because I do end up thinking 'how did you know?!' Hence Nanny McPhee! I don't know whether someone would have cast me in Sense and Sensibility,. I was never considered a beauty so I had to cast myself in my own roles. I will say that also last year, I played three wonderfully interesting roles back to back. But that was odd, and a stroke of good fortune that's rare. But yes, you're right. You kind of have to get on with it yourself.

SoleSource · 02/10/2013 21:16

I really enjoyed your answers. I hope to see lots more of you in film. :)
Our best UK actress.

jonicomelately · 02/10/2013 21:17

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to reply Emma We need to clone you!

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