Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh Headshot

Director • Actor • Writer

Birth Date: December 10, 1960

Age: 63 years old

Birth Place: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

Spouses: Emma Thompson

Partners: Helena Bonham Carter

Born on Dec. 10, 1960 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Kenneth Branagh moved to England with his family when he was 10. This is when he began his love affair with Shakespeare, reading 25-cent paperbacks of his plays. Branagh began his career in theater and soon became a familiar face on the acclaimed 1984 BBC trilogy "Too Late to Talk to Billy," "A Matter of Choice for Billy" and "A Coming to Terms for Billy." After making a name for himself with "Another Country," he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at age 23, and was the youngest "Henry V" in the troupe's history. He continued acting in British TV ventures such the BBC drama, "Fortunes of War" (1987). Branagh gained international recognition and dual Oscar nods as the director and star of the 1989 screen adaptation of Shakespeare's lyrical "Henry V." Branagh traveled to the United States to helm his next feature, the contemporary thriller "Dead Again" (1991) and then returned home to make "Peter's Friends" (1992), a British variation on "The Big Chill." That same year, Branagh directed "Swan Song," a short film based on a Chekhov short story. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Short Film - Live Action. Branagh adapted Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993) as a big-screen, all-star romp through Tuscany with Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves. Branagh won critical acclaim for his turn as Iago to Laurence Fishburne's "Othello" (1995) and also won praise for writing and directing "A Midwinter's Tale" (1995). Branagh appeared as himself in Al Pacino's documentary "Looking for Richard" (1996), then followed with his own big screen version of "Hamlet," setting it in the 19th Century. On the small screen, Branagh's role as Reinhard Heydrich in the HBO original "Conspiracy" (2001) earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries. After co-starring alongside Tom Cruise in "Valkyrie" (2008), he starred in and executive-produced three feature-length adaptations of Henning Mankell's best-selling Wallander crime novels for the BBC. The three-part miniseries, "Wallander" (2009), later aired on PBS and earned the esteemed actor another Emmy Award nomination. Branagh then took some time away from the spotlight to focus on his latest directorial effort, the big-budget adaptation of Marvel Comics' "Thor" (2011). Branagh's performance earned him accolades including nominations at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. Branagh next served as both director and supporting actor on the action thriller "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" (2014). Branagh followed this with the CGI-heavy fairy tale "Cinderella" (2015). A more recent voice credit includes the animated adventure "Fireheart" (2022) and Branagh directed and starred in "Death on the Nile" (2022).

Credits

Blue Eye SamuraiStream

Voice
Abijah Fowler
Series
2023
100%

OppenheimerStream

Actor
Niels Bohr
Movie
2023
93%

A Haunting in VeniceStream

Actor
Hercule Poirot
Movie
2023
76%

A Haunting in VeniceStream

Director
Movie
2023
76%

A Haunting in VeniceStream

Producer
Movie
2023
76%

Peter O'Toole – Along the Sky Road to AqabaStream

Self
Movie
2022

Kenneth Branagh Remembers... Billy Plays

Self
Show
2022

This EnglandStream

Actor
Boris Johnson
Miniseries
2022
44%

Branagh: Bringing Belfast Home

Self
Show
2022

Death on the NileStream

Actor
Hercule Poirot
Movie
2022
61%

Death on the NileStream

Director
Movie
2022
61%

Death on the NileStream

Producer
Movie
2022
61%

Fireheart

Voice
Shawn Nolan
Movie
2022

This Cultural Life

Guest
Show
2021

This Cultural Life

Guest
Show
2021

CBS Mornings

Guest
News
2021

Na wielkim ekranie

Actor
Show
2021

BelfastStream

Director
Movie
2021
86%

BelfastStream

Producer
Movie
2021
86%

BelfastStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2021
86%

Artemis FowlStream

Director
Movie
2020
8%

Artemis FowlStream

Producer
Movie
2020
8%

TenetStream

Actor
Sator
Movie
2020
69%

The Kelly Clarkson ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2019

Lost Lives

Actor
Movie
2019

All Is TrueStream

Actor
William Shakespeare
Movie
2018
72%

All Is TrueStream

Director
Movie
2018
72%

All Is TrueStream

Producer
Movie
2018
72%

The Sunday Project

Guest
Show
2017

Live with Kelly and Ryan

Guest
Talk
2017

DunkirkStream

Actor
Commander Bolton
Movie
2017
92%

Murder on the Orient ExpressStream

Actor
Hercule Poirot
Movie
2017
60%

Murder on the Orient ExpressStream

Director
Movie
2017
60%

Murder on the Orient ExpressStream

Producer
Movie
2017
60%

Upstart Crow

Actor
Colin / The Stranger
Show
2016

Wallander: The White Lioness

Actor
Kurt Wallander
Movie
2016

Wallander: A Lesson in Love

Actor
Kurt Wallander
Movie
2016

Wallander: The Troubled Man

Actor
Kurt Wallander
Movie
2016

Branagh Theatre Live: The Entertainer

Actor
Archie Rice
Movie
2016

The Daily Show with Trevor NoahStream

Guest
Talk
2015

Prodigal

Actor
Mark Snow
Show
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
Talk
2015

The Late Late Show With James CordenStream

Guest
Talk
2015

Making Of... Cinderella

Director
Show
2015

CinderellaStream

Director
Movie
2015
84%

Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale

Actor
Leontes
Movie
2015

Discovering Hamlet

Actor
Show
2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

Guest
Talk
2014

Jack Ryan: Shadow RecruitStream

Actor
Viktor Cherevin
Movie
2014
55%

Jack Ryan: Shadow RecruitStream

Director
Movie
2014
55%

World War 1 In Colour

Narrator
Show
2013

The Feed

Guest
Show
2013

Afternoon Drama

Actor
Spencer Tracy
Show
2012

Movie Talk With Peter Bart

Guest
Show
2012

Wallander - An Event in Autumn

Actor
Kurt Wallander
Movie
2012

Stars in Shorts

Actor
Mark Snow
Movie
2012

Discovering Hamlet

Actor
Show
2011

The Secrets of Scott's Hut

Voice
Captain Scott
Show
2011

Rigolleto

Actor
Show
2011

ThorStream

Director
Movie
2011
77%

My Week With MarilynStream

Actor
Laurence Olivier
Movie
2011
83%

Prodigal

Actor
Mark Snow
Movie
2011

The Talk

Guest
Talk
2010

Lorraine

Guest
Show
2010

Stars in Shorts

Actor
Show
2010

Ispettore Wallander: Assassinio senza volto

Actor
Movie
2010

Ispettore Wallander: L'uomo che sorrideva

Actor
Movie
2010

Ispettore Wallander: L'uomo che sorrideva

Executive Producer
Movie
2010

Ispettore Wallander: La quinta donna

Actor
Movie
2010

In the House With Peter Bart & Peter Guber

Guest
Show
2009

ES.TV

Guest
Show
2009

The Project

Guest
Show
2009

Skavlan

Guest
Show
2009

The Boat That Rocked

Actor
Dormandy
Movie
2009

WallanderStream

Actor
Kurt Wallander
Series
2008
88%

WallanderStream

Executive Producer
Series
2008
88%

10 Days to War

Actor
Show
2008

Alien Love Triangle

Actor
Steven Chesterman
Movie
2008

ValkyrieStream

Actor
Henning von Tresckow
Movie
2008
62%

Chelsea Lately

Guest
Talk
2007

The Graham Norton ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2007

Sleuth

Actor
Other Man on T.V.
Movie
2007

Sleuth

Director
Movie
2007

Sleuth

Producer
Movie
2007

The One Show

Guest
Show
2006

As You Like It

Actor
Movie
2006

As You Like It

Director
Movie
2006

As You Like It

Executive Producer
Movie
2006

As You Like It

Producer
Movie
2006

As You Like It

Screenwriter
Movie
2006

As You Like It

Writer
Movie
2006

The Magic Flute

Director
Movie
2006

The Magic Flute

Screenwriter
Movie
2006

Walking with Monsters: Life Before Dinosaurs

Narrator
Show
2005

Made in Hollywood

Guest
Series
2005

Wallander

Actor
Show
2005

Wallander

Executive Producer
Show
2005

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson

Guest
Talk
2005

Warm Springs

Actor
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Movie
2005

The Goebbels Experiment

Narrator
Movie
2005

Cbeebies Bedtime Stories

Guest
Show
2004

Tavis Smiley

Guest
Talk
2004

Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic

Narrator
Movie
2004

Five Children and It

Actor
Uncle Albert
Movie
2004

Sea Monsters

Narrator
Show
2003

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Guest
Talk
2003

World War I in Colour

Narrator
Show
2003

Real Time With Bill MaherStream

Guest
Talk
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
Talk
2003

Chased by Dinosaurs

Narrator
Show
2002

Shackleton

Actor
Show
2002

The Late Late Show

Guest
Show
2002

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Actor
Mr. Neville
Movie
2002

Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsStream

Actor
Gilderoy Lockhart
Movie
2002
82%

The Tramp and the Dictator

Actor
Himself/Narrator
Movie
2002

Walking with Beasts

Narrator
Show
2001

ConspiracyStream

Actor
Reinhard Heydrich
Movie
2001
100%

The Road to El Dorado

Voice
Miguel
Movie
2000

Love's Labour's Lost

Actor
Berowne
Movie
2000

Love's Labour's Lost

Director
Movie
2000

Love's Labour's Lost

Writer
Movie
2000

How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog

Actor
Peter McGowan
Movie
2000

Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces

Narrator
Movie
2000

Walking with DinosaursStream

Narrator
Series
1999
100%

Talking Movies

Actor
Show
1999

Talking Movies

Guest
Show
1999

The Perriwig-Maker

Actor
Movie
1999

Short 6

Narrator
Movie
1999

Wild Wild WestStream

Actor
Dr. Arliss Loveless
Movie
1999
16%

Galapagos

Narrator
Movie
1999

Universal Horror

Narrator
Show
1998

The Gingerbread Man

Actor
Rick Magruder
Movie
1998

The Proposition

Actor
Father Michael McKinnon
Movie
1998

CelebrityStream

Actor
Lee Simon
Movie
1998
42%

The Theory of Flight

Actor
Richard
Movie
1998

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

The Making of Hamlet

Self
Show
1997

HamletStream

Actor
Hamlet
Movie
1996
95%

HamletStream

Director
Movie
1996
95%

HamletStream

Writer
Movie
1996
95%

The Shadow of a Gunman

Actor
Donal Davoren
Movie
1995

Sueños de una Noche de Invierno

Director
Movie
1995

Othello

Actor
Iago
Movie
1995

In the Bleak Midwinter

Director
Movie
1995

In the Bleak Midwinter

Writer
Movie
1995

Anne Frank RememberedStream

Narrator
Movie
1995
97%

Swan Song

Director
Show
1994

Mary Shelley's FrankensteinStream

Actor
Victor Frankenstein
Movie
1994
42%

Mary Shelley's FrankensteinStream

Director
Movie
1994
42%

Late Night With Conan O'Brien

Guest
Talk
1993

Swing Kids

Actor
Herr Knopp
Movie
1993

Much Ado About NothingStream

Actor
Seigneur Benedick
Movie
1993
90%

Much Ado About NothingStream

Director
Movie
1993
90%

Much Ado About NothingStream

Producer
Movie
1993
90%

Much Ado About NothingStream

Writer (Screenplay)
Movie
1993
90%

Look Back in Anger

Actor
Show
1992

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

Guest
Talk
1992

Peter's Friends

Actor
Andrew Benson
Movie
1992

Peter's Friends

Director
Movie
1992

Charlie RoseStream

Guest
Talk
1991

Dead AgainStream

Actor
Roman Strauss/Mike Church
Movie
1991
81%

Dead AgainStream

Director
Movie
1991
81%

Henry VStream

Actor
Henry V
Movie
1989
98%

Henry VStream

Director
Movie
1989
98%

Henry VStream

Writer (Adaptation)
Movie
1989
98%

Twelfth Night, or What You Will

Director
Movie
1988

Fortunes of War

Actor
Guy Pringle
Show
1987

High Season

Actor
Rick
Movie
1987

Fortunes of War

Actor
Guy Pringle
Movie
1987

Regreso al Infierno Verde

Actor
Movie
1987

A Month in the Country

Actor
James Moon
Movie
1987

Ghosts

Actor
Oswald
Movie
1986

Coming Through

Actor
D.H. Lawrence
Movie
1985

A Matter of Choice for Billy

Actor
Billy Martin
Movie
1984

A Coming to Terms for Billy

Actor
Billy Martin
Movie
1984

To the Lighthouse

Actor
Charles Tansley
Movie
1983

Too Late to Talk to Billy

Actor
Billy
Movie
1982

CBS News Sunday Morning

Guest
News
1979

Play for Today

Actor
Billy Martin
Show
1970

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonStream

Guest
Talk
1962

Today

Guest
News
1952

News aboutKenneth Branagh