Sophie Thompson

Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress who has worked in television, film and theatre. A six-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of Into the Woods. Her other nominations were for Wildest Dreams (1994), Company (1996), Clybourne Park (2011) Guys and Dolls (2016)and 'Present Laughter' (2019)

Sophie Thompson
Thompson in 2014
Born (1962-01-20) 20 January 1962
Hampstead, London, England
OccupationActress
Years active1977–present
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1995; sep. 2015)​
Children2
Parents
RelativesEmma Thompson (sister)

Thompson's film appearances include Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Persuasion (1995), Emma (1996), Dancing at Lughnasa (1998), Gosford Park (2001) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010). Her television roles include playing Stella Crawford in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2006–2007) and Rosemary Piper in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2018).

Life and work

Early life, training and early career

Thompson is the second daughter[1] of actress Phyllida Law, the presenter of the first TV show broadcast on BBC Two, Play School, and actor Eric Thompson, the writer–narrator of the popular children's television series The Magic Roundabout on BBC One in the 1960s. She is the younger sister of actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson.[2]

Thompson made her television debut at the age of 15, starring in the BBC adaptation of the Alison Uttley classic A Traveller in Time, opposite Simon Gipps-Kent, before going on to study at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.[3]

Film

Big-screen roles include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Eat Pray Love, Emma, Dancing at Lughnasa, Gosford Park, Fat Slags, Relative Values and Morris: A Life with Bells On. In 2010, Thompson appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as Mafalda Hopkirk and Hermione Granger disguised as Hopkirk.

Television

Thompson starred alongside popular British comedians Alan Davies, in Jonathan Creek, and Lee Evans in So What Now? She has also appeared in Persuasion, Midsomer Murders, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes , A Harlot's Progress, and the TV movie Magnolia. She played Miss Bartlett in Andrew Davies' 2007 adaptation of E.M. Forster's A Room with a View and also appeared in the last episode of series 4 of Doc Martin.

Thompson played the role of child abuser Stella Crawford in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. She came into the show as Phil Mitchell's lawyer and they gradually developed a romantic link. Stella later became jealous of Phil's relationship with his son Ben and began to emotionally and physically abuse him, becoming one of soap's most-hated villains. Thompson left EastEnders on 20 July 2007, after the exposure of Stella's evil ways on her wedding day led to the character's suicide. She won the "inside soap Best bitch award" for her portrayal of Stella. In 2009, Thompson appeared in the BBC One comedy series Big Top. During 2012, Thompson appeared in Love Life and Lightfields, both of which were aired on ITV. In the same year she also appeared in a Keaton Henson's music video for a song called You Don't Know How Lucky You Are.[4] Her most recent television credits include Detectorists, Professor Branestawm, A Gert Lush Christmas, Jericho and Coronation Street (2018).

Thompson competed in Celebrity MasterChef in 2014, beating Jodie Kidd and Charley Boorman in the final.[5]

Theatre

She played Ophelia in the Renaissance Theatre Company production of Hamlet in 1988 in Birmingham, later touring England with the production. Directed by Sir Derek Jacobi, it starred her future brother-in-law Kenneth Branagh as Hamlet, Richard Easton as Claudius and Dearbhla Molloy as Gertrude. A film documentary, Discovering Hamlet, detailing the process of producing and rehearsing the play was released in 1990. A DVD version was released in 2010.

In 1996, Thompson appeared as Amy in Sam Mendes' acclaimed Donmar Warehouse revival of Company, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for her performance. Her performance of the Baker's Wife in the Donmar's revival of Into the Woods garnered her the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

She played Kathy/Bev in Dominic Cooke's 2011 production of Clybourne Park at The Royal Court, which transferred to The Wyndhams. Thompson received an Olivier nomination for Best Actress.

Thompson's recent theatre credits include the role of Mrs Hardcastle in She Stoops To Conquer at the National Theatre, directed by Jamie Lloyd, and also the part of Doctor Mathilde von Zahnd in Josie Rourke's production of The Physicists at the Donmar.

Writing

In 2015, Thompson's recipe book, My Family Kitchen, was published, and her first children's book, Zoo Boy, was published in 2016.

Personal life

In 1995, Thompson married actor Richard Lumsden, the couple later separated in 2015. They have two sons.[6] Thompson is a charity Ambassador for Dan's Fund For Burns, and ran the 2010 Marathon for CINI, a charity supporting vulnerable families in India, and 24th Tottenham, a London-based group for children and young adults with special needs.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

References
  1. "Sophie Thompson". FilmReference.com.
  2. Haynes, Lorien (11 June 2000). "Interview – Sophie Thompson: Emma, Babies and Me". Sunday Mirror. London. Retrieved 30 January 2017. – via HighBeam Research (subscription required)
  3. "Sophie Thompson" Archived 7 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine National Theatre
  4. "Keaton Henson – You Don't Know How Lucky You Are" (Video). YouTube. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  5. "Celebrity MasterChef final 2014: Sophie Thompson wins final with her 'original' dishes". wn.com. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  6. "The Players: Sophie Thompson (actor)". The Guardian (London).
  7. "TV – What to watch on TV tonight, latest news and clips – MSN UK". tv.uk.msn.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013.

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