Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson
April 15, 1959
Paddington, London, England, UK

This Aries is the only person ever to have won Oscars for both acting and writing, but her best work may be on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised.

'The way, I think, anything has ever really changed on this planet is through large groups of very ordinary people saying something finally.'

Emma Thompson's Tarot Reading

Emma Thompson was born to Scottish actress Phyllida Law and English actor Eric Thompson in London. Acting obviously runs in the family as her sister Sophie is also an actor. She was educated at Camden School for Girls and continued on to Newnham College at Cambridge University where she studied English literature and became involved in the comedy club Footlights.

In 1985, her first big role was that of Sally Smith in the musical, Me and My Girl, staged in London's West End theatre district -- comparable to New York's Broadway theatre district. The role garnered her much critical acclaim. In 1987, she co-starred with Kenneth Branagh in miniseries 'Fortunes of War' on the BBC. She won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for her role in the drama. She and Branagh later married. Also in 1987, she played Suzi Kettles in Tutti Frutti. In 1989, she portrayed Catherine of Valois in Henry V. She performed the roles of Kate Lemmon in The Tall Guy (1990) and Grace/Margaret Strauss in Dead Again (1991). In 1992, she played Margaret Schlegel in the Merchant-Ivory production, Howards End, winning a Best Actress Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for this performance. The same year she put in another award-winning performance as Maggie Chester in Peter's Friends, directed by her husband Kenneth Branagh. In 1993, she was Beatrice in Much Ado about Nothing and played Miss Kenton in The Remains of the Day. Her portrayal of Kenton came in at Number 52 on Premier Magazine's 2006 list of the 100 Greatest Performances of all time. She appeared in In the Name of the Father, also in 1993, and in 1994 played Dr. Diana Reddin in Junior. In 1995 she took the lead role in Carrington.

She wrote the script -- winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay -- and played Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility directed by Ang Lee. 1998 saw her as Susan Stanton in Primary Colors. She wrote the TV adaptation of Margaret Edson's play, Wit and also starred as Vivian Bearing in the 2001 HBO production. In 2003 she appeared in Imagining Argentina and Love Actually. In 2004 she played Professor Sybill Trelawney in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. About this role she once joked, 'I have a nervous breakdown in the film and in one scene I get to stand at the top of the stairs waving an empty sherry bottle which is, of course, a typical scene from my daily life, so isn't much of a stretch.' 2005 saw her in the title role of Nanny McPhee, which she wrote and which also features her mother in a small part. In 2006, she played Karen Eiffel in Stranger than Fiction and in 2007 reprised her role as Professor Trelawney in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

With her Sun in Aries Emma loves a challenge. She depends entirely upon her own strength and intelligence and in being true to her convictions. She likes to be the boss and works very well independently. She would much rather risk everything than fall into a rut. She is spontaneous, impulsive and direct. Sun opposition Saturn/Uranus means she tends to be in a constant state of tension and seems to look for avenues to test her strength. She uses all the energy at her disposal in order to succeed. Somewhat rebellious and inflexible, she fights any resistance she meets.

Mercury in Aries reiterates she is outspoken and direct, always eager to express her ideas and opinions. She doesn't mind going against the grain, saying, 'I am who I am and there is nothing I can do about that.' Mercury sextile Venus shows she appreciates aesthetics and has a fine sense of form and beauty. The stars say she could develop great technical skill as a creative writer and she has more than proved them correct. Mercury quincunx Pluto suggests she has a probing, penetrating mind and in her view, nothing is as simple or straightforward as it appears. Once her interest has been piqued, she can become obsessed with getting to the bottom of the matter. With Uranus opposition Sun/Jupiter she tends to act impulsively and hastily. She does her work in a state of excitement and is prone to overtax her strength.

Venus in Gemini means that in love, she is more interested in a person's sense of humor and intelligence than in their looks. She likes a partner who is mentally alive and who keeps her guessing. Talking, sharing ideas, going places and learning new things together are very important to her happiness. In 1989 she married Fortunes of War co-star Kenneth Branagh. They worked together and created a production company together. They were divorced in 1995. She and actor Greg Wise, one of her co-stars in Sense and Sensibility, were married on July 29, 2003. They have a daughter named Gaia Romilly Wise, born on December 4, 1999. Venus square Pluto reveals she has an intense need for love and her love life is passionate but often tumultuous and painful as well. In her words, 'If you've got to my age, you've probably had your heart broken many times ...' Positively, she can be unusually creative and bring about healing changes in the lives of others, motivated by her own deeply felt love.

Mars in Cancer indicates that while she avoids direct confrontation as much as possible, she also has a very strong protective side. Her goals tend to be personal and centered on family closeness and inner satisfaction rather than worldly achievement. Mars quincunx Jupiter shows that while she enjoys challenging herself to extend her abilities or try new activities, she may occasionally bite off more than she can chew. Fortunately she has great resilience and optimism. With Mars trine Neptune she dreams up creative solutions to problems and takes an imaginative approach to getting a job done. Working to help others or for a cause that transcends her own personal interests is satisfying for her. She is very active in a number of areas, particularly ActionAid. About this work she says, 'I think the point about ActionAid is what it's asking people to do is engage with poor people in developing countries and understand what their lives are like and understand how the way we live our lives impacts on theirs.' Saturn sextile Neptune shows she is able to do her work and take responsibility for overcoming her own problems and challenges in life, while at the same time being open to spiritual comfort and guidance. Enjoying simplicity and cultivating peace enable her to evolve and to work through her challenges. Pluto opposition Sun/Saturn says she tends to have an exceptionally strong vitality and capacity for work. She knows what counts and how to recognize opportunities for advancement. She is likely to develop and realize big projects. Pluto opposition Venus/Jupiter repeats that her desire for love is strong. She is very generous and no one who comes to her for help will be turned away. 'I've a problem with the word charity,' she says, 'because I think that NGOs, as I prefer calling them, really do take the work of moral and social responsibilities that ought to be taken on by governments.'

Jupiter in Sagittarius tells us she has a deep need to explore the world and to develop her own philosophy of life. Jupiter square Pluto indicates she aims high, has great vision, and is never satisfied with herself unless she can achieve her goals in a big way. She is always ready to capitalize on a good idea. She utilizes contacts with prominent people to advantage, and is likely to gain an important and lucrative position in life.

Saturn in Capricorn means she has a great capacity for self-denial in the pursuit of a long-range goal. She is capable of hard work and persistent labor, but may lack joyfulness and the ability to play. She has a very stern and uncompromising side, which may inhibit her. She must avoid becoming heavy and cynical. N. Node opposition Sun/Mercury gives her an inspiring, trustworthy and courteous manner, bringing lots of friends and acquaintances with similar interests into her life. Says Emma, 'I place a high moral value on the way people behave. I find it repellent to have a lot, and to behave with anything other than courtesy in the old sense of the word -- politeness of the heart, a gentleness of the sprit.' Her parental home probably is very harmonious and she feels strongly connected with her family. Indeed, according to her IMDb bio, her 'wit was earlier cultivated by a cheerful, clever, creative family atmosphere.'

'Children don't need much advice but they really do need to be listened to and not just with half an ear,' says Emma. 'Meal-times are brilliant for talking and listening, because you can let a mouthful go down while you talk, and chew while you're listening. It's the perfect arrangement.'

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