View source for Kenneth Branagh

{{Short description|British actor and filmmaker (born 1960)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = [[Sir]]
| name               = Kenneth Branagh
| image              = Kenneth Branagh at diff 2015.jpg
| caption            = Branagh at [[Dublin International Film Festival|DIFF]] 2015
| birth_name         = Kenneth Charles Branagh
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1960|12|10|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|filmmaker}}
| years_active       = 1981–present
| works              = [[Kenneth Branagh filmography|Filmography]]
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Kenneth Branagh|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{unbulleted list
| {{marriage|[[Emma Thompson]]|1989|1995|reason=divorced}}
| {{marriage|Lindsay Brunnock|2003}}
}}
| partner            = [[Helena Bonham Carter]]<br />(1994–1999)
}}

'''Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|æ|n|ə}} {{respell|BRAN|ə}}; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in [[Belfast]] and raised primarily in [[Reading, Berkshire]], Branagh trained at [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art|RADA]] in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. [[List of awards and nominations received by Kenneth Branagh|His accolades]] include an [[Academy Award]], four [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]s, two [[Emmy Awards]], a [[Golden Globe Award]], and an [[Laurence Olivier Award|Olivier Award]]. He was appointed a [[Knights Bachelor|Knight Bachelor]] in 2012,<ref name="Knight"/> and was given [[Freedom of the City]] in his native Belfast in 2018.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/News/News-87749.aspx|title=Belfast celebrates Branagh's Freedom award – Belfast City Council|website=www.belfastcity.gov.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=30 January 2018|archive-date=27 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527063736/https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/News/News-87749.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2020, he was ranked in 20th place on ''[[The Irish Times]]''{{'s}} list of Ireland's greatest film actors.<ref>{{cite news |title=The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order |first1=Donald |last1=Clarke |first2=Tara |last2=Brady |date=2020-06-13 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/the-50-greatest-irish-film-actors-of-all-time-in-order-1.4271988 |access-date=2020-06-13 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228021535/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/the-50-greatest-irish-film-actors-of-all-time-in-order-1.4271988 |archive-date=2023-02-28 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Branagh has directed and starred in several film adaptations of [[William Shakespeare]]'s plays, including ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]'' (1989), ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (1993), ''[[Othello (1995 film)|Othello]]'' (1995), ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1996),  and ''[[As You Like It (2006 film)|As You Like It]]'' (2006). He was nominated for Academy Awards for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for ''Henry V'', and [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]] for ''Hamlet''. He directed ''[[Swan Song (1992 film)|Swan Song]]'' (1992), which earned a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film]]. He also directed '' [[Dead Again]]'' (1991), ''[[Peter's Friends]]'' (1992), ''[[Frankenstein (1994 film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]'' (1994), ''[[Thor (film)|Thor]]'' (2011), and ''[[Cinderella (2015 American film)|Cinderella]]'' (2015). For his semi-autobiographical film ''[[Belfast (film)|Belfast]]'' (2021), he was nominated for the Academy Awards for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], and won [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]].

Branagh directed and starred as [[Hercule Poirot]] in the [[Hercule Poirot (film series)|eponymous film series]] (2017–present). He has also acted in ''[[Celebrity (1998 film)|Celebrity]]'' (1998), ''[[Wild Wild West]]'' (1999), ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]'' (2000), ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' (2002), and ''[[Valkyrie (film)|Valkyrie]]'' (2008). His portrayal of [[Laurence Olivier]] in ''[[My Week with Marilyn]]'' (2011) earned him a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]. He played supporting roles in [[Christopher Nolan]]'s films ''[[Dunkirk (2017 film)|Dunkirk]]'' (2017), ''[[Tenet (film)|Tenet]]'' (2020), and ''[[Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer]]'' (2023).

Branagh has starred in the [[BBC1]] series ''[[Fortunes of War (TV series)|Fortunes of War]]'' (1987), the [[Channel 4]] series ''[[Shackleton (TV serial)|Shackleton]]'' (2002), the television film ''[[Warm Springs (film)|Warm Springs]]'' (2005), and the [[BBC One]] series ''[[Wallander (British TV series)|Wallander]]'' (2008–2016). He received a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award]] and an [[International Emmy Award for Best Actor]] for his portrayal of [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] leader [[Reinhard Heydrich]] in the [[HBO]] film ''[[Conspiracy (2001 film)|Conspiracy]]'' (2001).

== Early life and education ==
Kenneth Charles Branagh was born in [[Belfast]] on 10 December 1960,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Monitor|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=14 December 2012|issue=1237|page=26}}</ref> the son of working-class [[Ulster Protestants|Protestant]] parents Frances ({{nee}} Harper) and William Branagh. His father was a plumber and [[Joinery|joiner]] who ran a company that specialised in fitting partitions and suspended ceilings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/kenneth_branagh_biog.html |title=Kenneth Branagh Biography |publisher=Tiscali.co.uk |access-date=7 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927054756/http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/kenneth-branagh/biography/71 |archive-date=27 September 2012}}</ref><ref>Claire O'Boyle, ''Our Belfast with Branagh'', Daily Mirror, London, 22 January 2022, pages 34-35.</ref> He is the middle of three children, with an older brother and a younger sister, and lived in the [[Tigers Bay]] area of Belfast. He was educated at Grove Primary School.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/kenneth-branagh-i-left-belfast-but-its-still-my-home-and-id-love-to-shoot-a-movie-here-34753092.html|title=Kenneth Branagh: I left Belfast but it's still my home and I'd love to shoot a movie here |publisher=Belfast Telegraph |access-date=16 July 2018|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk }}</ref><ref>White, p. 2</ref> In early 1970, at the age of nine, Branagh moved with his family to England to escape [[the Troubles]]; they settled in [[Berkshire]], where Branagh grew up in [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.branaghcompendium.com/conspiracy.html |title=The Kenneth Branagh Compendium: Conspiracy |publisher=Branaghcompendium.com |access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref><ref>White p. 3</ref> and attended Whiteknights Primary School and Meadway School in [[Tilehurst]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tes.com/news/my-best-teacher-kenneth-branagh |title=My best teacher&nbsp;– Kenneth Branagh |publisher=TES Connect}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/articles/2009/03/24/kenneth_branagh_2009_feature.shtml |title=Berkshire's BAFTA Branagh |publisher=BBC Berkshire}}</ref> He appeared in school productions such as ''[[Toad of Toad Hall]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehunterfamily.co.uk/meadwayschoolreunion/memories.html#jimmorrison |title=Meadway School Reunion&nbsp;– Staff Memories (Jim Morrison) |access-date=13 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404032536/http://www.thehunterfamily.co.uk/meadwayschoolreunion/memories.html#jimmorrison |archive-date=4 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''[[Oh, What a Lovely War!]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/InformationServices/TheLibrary/FileStore/Filetoupload,51398,en.pdf |title=Kenneth Branagh Archive |publisher=Queen's University Belfast |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612190125/http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/InformationServices/TheLibrary/FileStore/Filetoupload%2C51398%2Cen.pdf |archive-date=12 June 2011 }}</ref>

At school, Branagh learned to speak with an [[received pronunciation|RP accent]] to avoid bullying. Discussing his identity, he later said, "I feel Irish. I don't think you can take Belfast out of the boy."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/kenneth-branagh/biography/71 |title=Kenneth Branagh – Biography |publisher=Talktalk.co.uk |access-date=24 August 2012}}</ref> He also attributes his "love of words" to his Irish heritage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article/21/kenneth-branagh |title=Kenneth Branagh |publisher=Culturenorthernireland.org |date=27 February 2007 |access-date=24 August 2012 |archive-date=18 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118190855/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article/21/kenneth-branagh |url-status=dead }}</ref> He attended the amateur Reading Cine & Video Society (now called Reading Film & Video Makers)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.readingfilmandvideomakers.org.uk |title=RFVM History 1957–2012|publisher=Reading Film & Video Makers}}</ref> and was a keen member of [[Progress Theatre]], of which he is now the patron. After disappointing [[A-level]] results in English, history, and sociology,<ref>{{Cite book|title=Beginning|last=Branagh|first=Kenneth|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|year=1990|isbn=9780393331165|pages=31, 49}}</ref> he went on to train at the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] in [[London]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/DailyTelegiraffe/branaghlondontimes.html |title=''The Times'', 20&nbsp;February&nbsp;2000 |publisher=Members.tripod.com |access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref> In 1980, RADA's principal [[Hugh Cruttwell]] asked Branagh to perform a [[soliloquy]] from ''[[Hamlet]]'' for [[Queen Elizabeth II]] during one of her visits to the academy.<ref>The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (1980) ''An Entertainment'', 19 November 1980 programme, GBS Theatre: London</ref>

== Career ==
=== 1980–1988: Rise to prominence ===
[[File:William Shakespeare by John Taylor, edited.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Branagh has adapted numerous works of [[William Shakespeare]] for the stage and screen]]
Branagh's first film appearance was as an uncredited role as a Cambridge student in the sports drama ''[[Chariots of Fire]]'' (1981). Branagh achieved early success in his native Northern Ireland for his role as Billy, the title character in the BBC's ''[[Play for Today]]''<ref>White p. 17</ref> trilogy known as the ''Billy Plays'' (1982–84), written by [[Graham Reid (writer)|Graham Reid]] and set in Belfast.<ref>{{cite news |last=Parr |first=Connal |date=29 January 2018 |title=Kenneth Branagh and why it's never too late to talk about Billy |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/kenneth-branagh-and-why-its-never-too-late-to-talk-about-billy-36534947.html |work=Belfast Telegraph |access-date=29 January 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129124849/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/kenneth-branagh-and-why-its-never-too-late-to-talk-about-billy-36534947.html |archive-date=29 January 2018}}</ref> He received acclaim in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] for his stage performances, first winning the 1982 [[Laurence Olivier Award|SWET]] Award for Best Newcomer, for his role as Judd in [[Julian Mitchell]]'s ''[[Another Country (play)|Another Country]]'', after leaving [[RADA]]. Branagh was part of the new wave of actors to emerge from the academy. Others included [[Jonathan Pryce]], [[Juliet Stevenson]], [[Alan Rickman]], [[Anton Lesser]], [[Bruce Payne]] and [[Fiona Shaw]]. In 1984, he appeared in the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] production of ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]'', directed by [[Adrian Noble]]. The production played to sold-out audiences, especially at the [[Barbican Centre|Barbican]] in the [[City of London]]. It was this production that he adapted for the film version of the play in 1989. He and [[David Parfitt]] founded the [[Renaissance Theatre Company]] in 1987, following success with several productions on the London Fringe, including Branagh's full-scale production of ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' at the [[Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)|Lyric Studio]], co-starring with [[Samantha Bond]]. 

The first major Renaissance production was Branagh's Christmas 1987 staging of ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' at [[Riverside Studios]] in [[Hammersmith]], starring [[Richard Briers]] as [[Malvolio]] and [[Frances Barber]] as [[Viola (Twelfth Night)|Viola]], and with an original score by actor, musician, and composer [[Patrick Doyle]], who two years later was to compose the music for Branagh's film adaptation of ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]''. This ''Twelfth Night'' was later adapted for television. The company's debut season also included ''Public Enemy'', a play written by Branagh set in his native Belfast.<ref>{{cite web |title=Renaissance Theatre Company Collection |url=https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/4e700326-186b-3ec0-8af2-2e82e8f61419 |website=Archive Hub |access-date=22 June 2024}}</ref> Also in 1987, Branagh found his first leading film role as James Moon in the [[A Month in the Country (film)|British film adaptation]] of [[J.L. Carr]]'s book ''[[A Month in the Country (novel)|A Month in The Country]]''. Here he plays a homosexual ex-army officer who, following the war, has taken on a job to excavate a burial in the churchyard. He instead spends most of his time looking for Saxon treasures. The film is set in a 1920s rural Yorkshire village, where Branagh’s character meets a character played by [[Colin Firth]], also in his first major role.

Branagh became a major presence in the media and on the British stage when Renaissance collaborated with [[Birmingham Rep]] for a 1988 touring season of three Shakespeare plays under the umbrella title of ''Renaissance Shakespeare on the Road'', which also played a repertory season at the [[Phoenix Theatre (London)|Phoenix Theatre]] in London. It featured directorial debuts for [[Judi Dench]] with ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (starring Branagh and Samantha Bond <!-- Please do not change this to E Thompson. If you read the section header, this is about a stage version of the play, not the film. That came later --> as Benedick and Beatrice), [[Geraldine McEwan]] with ''[[As You Like It]]'', and [[Derek Jacobi]] directing Branagh in the title role in ''[[Hamlet]]'', with [[Sophie Thompson]]<!-- Please do not change this to K Winslet. If you read the section header, this is about a stage version of the play, not the film. That came later --> as [[Ophelia]]. Critic [[Milton Shulman]] of the London ''[[Evening Standard]]'' wrote: "On the positive side Branagh has the vitality of [[Laurence Olivier|Olivier]], the passion of [[John Gielgud|Gielgud]], the assurance of [[Alec Guinness|Guinness]], to mention but three famous actors who have essayed the role. On the negative side, he has not got the magnetism of Olivier, nor the mellifluous voice quality of Gielgud nor the intelligence of Guinness."<ref>Quoted in ''The London Stage in the 20th Century'' by [[Robert Tanitch]], Haus (2007)</ref>

=== 1989–1999: Breakthrough ===
[[File:Emma Thompson Césars 2009.jpg|thumb|right|170px|Branagh starred in numerous films and stage plays with [[Emma Thompson]]]]
A year later, in 1989, Branagh co-starred with [[Emma Thompson]] in the Renaissance company's stage revival of ''[[Look Back in Anger]]''. Judi Dench directed both the theatre and television productions, presented first in [[Belfast]] then at the [[London Coliseum]] and [[Lyric Theatre, London|Lyric Theatre]]. In 1990, he wrote his autobiography ''Beginning'', recounting his life and acting career up to that point. In the book's introduction, he admits that the main reason for producing the book was "money" and that "The deal was made, and a handsome advance was paid out. The advance provided the funds to buy accommodation for the Company's offices, this moving Renaissance out of my flat and bringing me a little closer to sanity."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Branagh, Kenneth|title=Beginning|date=1990|publisher=Norton|isbn=0-393-02862-3|edition=1st American|location=New York|page=ix|oclc=20669813}}</ref>

Notable non-Shakespeare films in which Branagh has acted in and directed include the [[neo-noir]] romantic thriller ''[[Dead Again]]'' (1991) starring Branagh, [[Emma Thompson]], [[Andy Garcia]], and [[Derek Jacobi]]. The film premiered at the [[Berlin International Film Festival]] where it competed for the [[Golden Bear]] and received critical acclaim. The following year he directed the British comedy-drama film ''[[Peter's Friends]]'', with a cast including former student friends Emma Thompson, [[Hugh Laurie]], [[Tony Slattery]], and [[Stephen Fry]], as well as [[Imelda Staunton]] and [[Rita Rudner]]. The film received positive reviews with critics comparing it favorably as the British version of ''[[The Big Chill (film)|The Big Chill]]'' (1982). The film earned two [[Evening Standard British Film Awards]] for Branagh and Thompson.

Branagh is known for his film adaptations of [[William Shakespeare]], beginning with the critically acclaimed ''Henry V'' (1989), later followed by Shakespeare's romantic comedy ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (1993). The latter film premiered at the [[1993 Cannes Film Festival]] where it competed for the [[Palme d'Or]]. The film starred Branagh, Thompson, [[Denzel Washington]], [[Kate Beckinsale]], [[Keanu Reeves]], and [[Michael Keaton]]. [[Vincent Canby]] film critic of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised Branagh's direction writing, "Now he has accomplished something equally difficult. He has taken a Shakespearean romantic comedy, the sort of thing that usually turns to mush on the screen, and made a movie that is triumphantly romantic, comic and, most surprising of all, emotionally alive."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/07/movies/review-film-a-house-party-of-beatrice-benedick-and-friends.html|title= Review/Film; A House Party of Beatrice, Benedick and Friends|work= The New York Times|date= 7 May 1993|access-date= August 2, 2023|last1= Canby|first1= Vincent}}</ref>

However, Branagh had a commercial misstep with his adaptation of the [[horror (genre)|horror]] film ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]'' (1994). The film starred Branagh, [[Robert De Niro]], [[Helena Bonham Carter]], [[Tom Hulce]], and [[Ian Holm]]. It premiered at the [[London Film Festival]] where it received negative reviews. ''[[The New York Times]]'' film critic [[Janet Maslin]] wrote of Branagh's failure, "[He] is in over his head. He displays neither the technical finesse to handle a big, visually ambitious film nor the insight to develop a stirring new version of this story. Instead, this is a bland, no-fault ''Frankenstein'' for the '90s, short on villainy but loaded with the tragically misunderstood".<ref>{{cite web |date=4 November 1994 |first=Janet |last=Maslin |author-link=Janet Maslin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/04/movies/film-review-frankenstein-a-brain-on-ice-a-dead-toad-and-voila.html |title=Movie Review - - FILM REVIEW: FRANKENSTEIN; A Brain on Ice, a Dead Toad and Voila! |work= [[New York Times]] |access-date=2016-08-27}}</ref> He then directed the minor British romantic comedy ''[[In the Bleak Midwinter (film)|In the Bleak Midwinter]]'' (1995) to positive reviews.
[[File:Hamlet - Michele Rapisardi.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Branagh starred as and directed the film ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1996)]]
Also in 1995, Branagh portrayed [[Iago]] in [[Oliver Parker]]'s ''[[Othello (1995 film)|Othello]]'' (1995) acting opposite [[Laurence Fishburne]] as [[Othello (character)|Othello]]. The film received largely positive reviews, particularly for Branagh's performance which earned a [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role]] nomination. [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised his acting writing, "Mr Branagh's superb performance, as the man whose [[Machiavelli]]an scheming guides the story of Othello's downfall, guarantees this film an immediacy that any audience will understand."<ref name=Maslin>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/14/movies/film-review-fishburne-and-branagh-meet-their-fate-in-venice.html|title=FILM REVIEW;Fishburne and Branagh Meet Their Fate in Venice|first=Janet|last=Maslin|newspaper=The New York Times|date=14 December 1995}}</ref>

Branagh returned to directing, in the acclaimed adaptation of ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1996). Critics have theorised it might be the greatest film adaptation of ''Hamlet'' of all time. The film is noted for its epic scale and cast. The film ran four hours and was shot completely in [[70 mm film]]. The cast includes Branagh, [[Kate Winslet]], [[Derek Jacobi]], [[Julie Christie]] and [[Rufus Sewell]]. Critic [[Roger Ebert]] of ''[[The Chicago Sun-Times]]'' praised Branagh's direction and acting, declaring, "One of the tasks of a lifetime is to become familiar with the great plays of Shakespeare. 'Hamlet' is the most opaque. Branagh's version moved me, entertained me and made me feel for the first time at home in that doomed royal court."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hamlet-1996|title= Hamlet movie review|website= [[Roger Ebert|rogerebert.com]]|access-date=2 August 2023}}</ref> The film received four [[Academy Award]] nominations including for [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]] for Branagh.

Post-''Hamlet'', Branagh took a break from directing choosing to act in films directed by [[auteur]] directors. He starred in [[Robert Altman]]'s legal thriller ''[[The Gingerbread Man (film)|The Gingerbread Man]]'' (1998), [[Paul Greengrass]]' dramedy ''[[The Theory of Flight]]'' (1998) and [[Woody Allen]]'s celebrity satire ''[[Celebrity (1998 film)|Celebrity]]'' (1998). The following year he starred in the Western film ''[[Wild Wild West]]'' opposite [[Will Smith]], [[Kevin Kline]], and [[Salma Hayek]], which received negative reviews. During this time Branagh took on voice roles playing the title role in BBC radio broadcasts of ''Hamlet'' and ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'', and the role of Edmund in [[King Lear]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://watershade.net/wmcclain/ws-audio.html |title=Shakespeare on Audio |publisher=Watershade.net |access-date=6 August 2014}}</ref> Branagh has narrated several [[audiobook]]s, such as ''[[The Magician's Nephew]]'' by [[C. S. Lewis]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.addall.com/author/2128343-1 | title=Kenneth Branagh Book Search | publisher=AddALL.com | access-date=15 January 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012173111/http://www.addall.com/author/2128343-1 | archive-date=12 October 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''[[Heart of Darkness]]'' by [[Joseph Conrad]]. In 1998, he narrated the 24-episode documentary series [[Cold War (TV series)|''Cold War'']].<ref name=cnnarchive>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/01/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210013042/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/01/|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 December 2008|title=CNN – Cold War|website=[[CNN]]|date=10 December 2008}}</ref> Branagh also narrated the BBC documentaries ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs]]'', ''[[World War 1 in Colour|World War I in Colour]]'', ''[[Walking with Beasts]]'' and ''[[Walking with Monsters]]'', and the BBC miniseries ''Great Composers''.

=== 2000–2010: Established director ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1969-054-16, Reinhard Heydrich.jpg|thumb|right|170px|Branagh won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Emmy Award]] for his portrayal of [[Reinhard Heydrich]] in ''[[Conspiracy (2001 film)|Conspiracy]]'' (2001)]]
Branagh found commercial and critical failure with ''[[Love's Labour's Lost (film)|Love's Labour's Lost]]'', which paused his directorial career. That same year he voiced Miguel in the [[DreamWorks Animation|DreamWorks Animated]] film ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]'' (2000) alongside [[Kevin Kline]]. The film received mixed reviews but has since gained a [[cult following]]. The following year he acted in the [[HBO]] film ''[[Conspiracy (2001 film)|Conspiracy]]'' (2001) portraying [[SS]]-[[Obergruppenführer]] [[Reinhard Heydrich]]. The film is a depiction of the [[Wannsee Conference]], where [[Nazi]] officials decided on the [[Final Solution]]. Branagh acted alongside [[Colin Firth]] and [[Stanley Tucci]]. He earned critical acclaim for his performance as well as the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]].

In 2002, Branagh played [[A. O. Neville]] in the drama film ''[[Rabbit-Proof Fence]]'' and portrayed a humorous role as Professor [[Gilderoy Lockhart]] in the film adaptation of [[J.K. Rowling]]'s ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''. He also portrayed [[Ernest Shackleton|Sir Ernest Shackleton]] in the [[Channel 4]] television film [[Shackleton (TV serial)|''Shackleton'']] (2002). The film is a dramatization of the 1914 [[Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition]]'s battle for survival, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA award and an Emmy.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272839/awards "Shackleton" awards].</ref> That same year Branagh starred at the [[Crucible Theatre]], [[Sheffield]] as [[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]. In 2003, he starred in the [[Royal National Theatre]]'s production of [[David Mamet]]'s ''[[Edmond (play)|Edmond]]''. Branagh directed ''[[The Play What I Wrote]]'' in England in 2001<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4725734/Branagh-ready-for-the-next-stage.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4725734/Branagh-ready-for-the-next-stage.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Branagh ready for the next stage |newspaper=Telegraph |date= 24 September 2001|access-date=7 March 2010 | location=London |first=Graeme |last=Archer}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and directed a Broadway production in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.curtainup.com/playwhatiwrote.html |title=The Play What I Wrote, a CurtainUp London and New York review |publisher=Curtainup.com |access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/PlayWhat.html |title=Talkin' Broadway Review: The Play What I Wrote |publisher=Talkinbroadway.com |date=30 March 2003 |access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref>
[[File:KennethBranaghRFFJuly09.jpg|thumb|upright|170px|left|Branagh won the Roma Fiction Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award (2009)]]
Branagh has been involved in several [[Television film|made-for-TV film]]s. Among his most acclaimed portrayals is that of [[President of the United States|US President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in the film ''[[Warm Springs (film)|Warm Springs]]'' (2005), for which he received an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie]] nomination. The film received 16 Emmy nominations, winning five (including [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie|Outstanding Made for Television Movie]]); Branagh did not win the award for his portrayal. In 2006, Branagh directed the film version of ''[[As You Like It (2006 film)|As You Like It]]'' starring [[Romola Garai]], [[Bryce Dallas Howard]], and [[Kevin Kline]]. That same year he also directed a film version of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s opera ''[[The Magic Flute]]''. Branagh has also directed the thriller ''[[Sleuth (2007 film)|Sleuth]]'' (2007), a remake of the 1972 film starring [[Jude Law]] and [[Michael Caine]]. The film received mixed reviews with critics praising the performances and noting Branagh's darker interpretation of the material. Branagh then took the role of Major General [[Henning von Tresckow]] in ''[[Valkyrie (film)|Valkyrie]]'' (2008) and played the Minister, Dormandy (a parody of [[Postmaster General of the United Kingdom|PMG]] [[Tony Benn]]), in the film ''[[The Boat That Rocked]]'' (2009).

Branagh is the star of the English-language ''[[Wallander (UK TV series)|Wallander]]'' television series, adaptations of [[Henning Mankell]]'s best-selling ''[[Kurt Wallander|Wallander]]'' crime novels. Branagh plays the eponymous Inspector [[Kurt Wallander]] and also serves as the executive producer of the series. The first series of three episodes was broadcast on [[BBC One]] in November and December 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/wk49/feature_wallander.shtml |title=Killing time |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref> Branagh won the award for best actor at the 35th [[Broadcasting Press Guild|Broadcasting Press Guild Television and Radio Awards]] (2009). It was his first major television award win in the UK.<ref name="BPG win">Douglas, Torin (27 March 2009). "[http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/?p=770 Winners&nbsp;– 35th BPG Television and Radio Awards]". Broadcasting Press Guild. Retrieved on 27 March 2009.</ref> He received his first [[British Academy Television Award|BAFTA TV]] on 26 April 2009 for the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series]].<ref>"[http://bafta.org/awards/television/tv-noms-2009,709,BA.html Television Awards Nominations 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327032142/http://www.bafta.org/awards/television/tv-noms-2009%2C709%2CBA.html |date=27 March 2009 }}". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved on 24 March 2009.</ref> For his performance in the episode ''One Step Behind'', he was nominated in the Outstanding Actor, Miniseries, or Movie category of the [[61st Primetime Emmy Awards]].<ref>Martin, Lara (16 July 2009). "[http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a165494/emmys-awards-2009-the-nominees.html Emmys Awards 2009: The nominees]". Digital Spy. Retrieved on 16 July 2009.</ref> The role also gained him a nomination for Best Actor at the 2009 [[Crime Thriller Awards]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Allen, Kate |date=7 September 2009 |url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/96297-coben-cole-atkinson-vie-for-crime-awards.html |title=Coben, Cole, Atkinson vie for crime awards |work=The Bookseller |access-date=7 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090910005647/http://www.thebookseller.com/news/96297-coben-cole-atkinson-vie-for-crime-awards.html |archive-date=10 September 2009 }}</ref> The second ''Wallander'' series of three episodes aired initially in January 2010 on the BBC, and the third season aired in July 2012.<ref name="bbc-series3">{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kv4pw | title=BBC One – Wallander, Series 3 | publisher=BBC | date=22 July 2012 | access-date=15 March 2013}}</ref> The fourth and final series was shot from October 2014 to January 2015 and premiered on German TV, dubbed into German, in December 2015; it aired in the UK, with its original English soundtrack, in May and June 2016.

From September to November 2008, Branagh appeared at [[Wyndham's Theatre]] as the title character in the [[Donmar Warehouse|Donmar West End]] revival of [[Anton Chekhov]]'s ''[[Ivanov (play)|Ivanov]]'' in a new version by [[Tom Stoppard]]. His performance was lauded as the "performance of the year" by several critics.<ref>Staff writer (18 September 2008). "[http://www.inthenews.co.uk/entertainment/tv/rave-reviews-kenneth-branaghs-west-end-return-$1241274.htm Rave reviews for Kenneth Branagh's West End return] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315072957/http://www.inthenews.co.uk/entertainment/tv/rave-reviews-kenneth-branaghs-west-end-return-$1241274.htm |date=15 March 2012 }}", ''inthenews.co.uk''. Retrieved on 18 September 2008.</ref> It won him the [[Critics' Circle Theatre Award]] for Best Male Performance but did not get him a [[Laurence Olivier Award]] nomination, to the surprise of critics.<ref>Hoyle, Ben (4 February 2009). "[https://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article5654820.ece David Tennant and Kenneth Branagh miss out on Olivier nominations]{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}", ''The Times'', Times Newspapers. Retrieved on 22 February 2009.</ref>

=== 2011–2020: Career expansion ===
[[File:Laurence Olivier - Rebecca.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Branagh portrayed [[Laurence Olivier]] in the film ''[[My Week with Marilyn]]'' (2011)]]
In 2011, Branagh directed ''[[Thor (film)|Thor]]'', a film based on the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] superhero.<ref name="Thor">{{cite web|url=http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/12/13/exclusive-kenneth-branagh-breaks-silence-on-thor-says-casting-talk-is-premature/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081214140255/http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/12/13/exclusive-kenneth-branagh-breaks-silence-on-thor-says-casting-talk-is-premature/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 December 2008 |title=EXCLUSIVE: Kenneth Branagh Breaks Silence On 'Thor,' Says Casting Talk Is Premature |publisher=Splashpage.mtv.com |access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref> ''Thor'', Branagh's return to big-budget directing, was wide-released on 6 May 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bangordailynews.com/2011/05/04/living/thor-to-drop-the-hammer-on-theatergoers/|title='Thor' to drop the hammer on theatergoers|website=Bangor Daily News|date=4 May 2011|access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref> The film was a part of [[Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One|Phase One]] of the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]]. It starred [[Chris Hemsworth]], [[Natalie Portman]], [[Tom Hiddleston]], and [[Anthony Hopkins]]. The film was a financial and critical success. That same year he portrayed [[Laurence Olivier]] in ''[[My Week with Marilyn]]'' (2011). [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised Branagh's performance writing, "It is a complete joy to see Branagh's Olivier erupt in queeny frustration at Marilyn's lateness, space-cadet vagueness, and preposterous Method acting indulgence...[He] revives Olivier with wit, intelligence and charm".<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/nov/24/my-week-with-marilyn-review|title= My Week With Marilyn – review|website= The Guardian|date= 24 November 2011|access-date= 2 August 2023|last1= Bradshaw|first1= Peter}}</ref> Branagh received an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] nomination at the [[84th Academy Awards]] losing to [[Christopher Plummer]] for ''[[Beginners (film)|Beginners]]'' (2011).

Branagh participated in the [[2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony]] portraying [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] during the [[Industrial Revolution]] segment "Pandemonium" where he performed one of [[Caliban]]'s speeches<ref group=note>Act III, Scene 2</ref> from Shakespeare's ''[[The Tempest]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Danny Boyle Welcomes The World To London |first=Danny |last=Boyle |url=http://descrier.co.uk/uk/2012/07/london-2012-danny-boyle-welcomes-the-world-to-london/ |newspaper=The Descrier |date=28 July 2012 |access-date=28 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/29623/files/Opening_ceremony_media_guide.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304142833/http://doc.rero.ch/record/29623/files/Opening_ceremony_media_guide.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=live|title=London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Media guide|access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref> In July 2013, he co-directed ''[[Macbeth]]'' at [[Manchester International Festival]] with [[Rob Ashford]]. With Branagh in the title role, [[Alex Kingston]] played Lady Macbeth and [[Ray Fearon]] featured as Macduff. The final performance of the completely sold-out run was broadcast to cinemas on 20 July as part of [[National Theatre Live]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mif.co.uk/event/macbeth |title=Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston MACBETH Directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh |publisher=Mif.co.uk |access-date=6 August 2014 |archive-date=21 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921193954/http://www.mif.co.uk/event/macbeth/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He repeated his performance and directorial duties opposite Ashford and Kingston when the production moved to [[New York City]]'s [[Seventh Regiment Armory|Park Avenue Armory]] in June 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/branaghs-macbeth-coming-to-new-yorks-park-avenue-armory-in-2014/|title=Branagh's 'Macbeth' Coming to New York's Park Avenue Armory in 2014|first=Daniel|last=McDermon|date=20 August 2013}}</ref>

In April 2015, Branagh announced his formation of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company, in which he would appear as [[actor-manager]]. With the company, he announced he would present a season of five shows at London's [[Garrick Theatre]] from October 2015 – November 2016. The shows were ''[[The Winter's Tale]]'', a double bill of ''[[Harlequinade (Rattigan)|Harlequinade]]'' and ''All On Her Own'', ''[[Red Velvet (play)|Red Velvet]]'', ''The Painkiller'', ''Romeo and Juliet'' and ''[[The Entertainer (play)|The Entertainer]]''. Branagh directed all but ''The Entertainer'', in which he starred. Branagh also starred in ''The Winter's Tale'', ''Harlequinade'' and ''The Painkiller''. Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company also includes Judi Dench (''The Winter's Tale''), [[Zoë Wanamaker]] (''Harlequinade/All On Her Own''), Derek Jacobi, [[Lily James]] and [[Richard Madden]] (''Romeo and Juliet'') and [[Rob Brydon]] (''The Painkiller''). In September 2015, it was announced that ''The Winter's Tale'', ''Romeo and Juliet,'' and ''The Entertainer'' would be broadcast in cinemas, in partnership with [[Picturehouse Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/1700/Live-Cinema-Broadcasts-And-A-First-Look-At-Judi-Dench-In-The-Winter-s-Tale.aspx|title=Live Cinema Broadcasts And A First Look At Judi Dench In The Winter's Tale|publisher=London Theatre Direct|access-date=21 September 2015|date=11 September 2015|author=Porteous, Jacob}}</ref>

[[File:DunkirkFilmGearPatrolLeadFull.jpg|thumb|Kenneth Branagh has acted in three of [[Christopher Nolan]]'s films: ''[[Dunkirk (2017 film)|Dunkirk]]'' (2017), ''[[Tenet (film)|Tenet]]'' (2020), and ''[[Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer]]'' (2023)]]
In 2014 Branagh directed and acted in the action thriller ''[[Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit]]'' (2014) starring [[Chris Pine]], [[Keira Knightley]], and [[Kevin Costner]]. The film was a box office hit but received mixed reviews from critics. The following year, Branagh directed [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s live-action adaptation of ''[[Cinderella (2015 American film)|Cinderella]]'' (2015) starring [[Lily James]].<ref name="cinderelladirector">{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/01/disney-negotiating-with-kenneth-branagh-to-replace-romanek-on-cinderella.html|title=Disney Negotiating With Kenneth Branagh to Direct Cinderella|publisher=[[vulture]].com|date=31 January 2013|access-date=19 November 2014}}</ref> The film was a financial and critical success. Peter Debruge of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' praised his direction writing, "the underlying property emerges untarnished, as director Kenneth Branagh reverently reimagines Charles Perrault’s fairy tale for a new generation the world over, spelling countless opportunities to exploit fresh interest in the story throughout the Disney universe."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/berlin-film-review-disneys-new-live-action-cinderella-1201433243/|title= Berlin Film Review: 'Cinderella'|website= Variety|date= 13 February 2015|access-date= August 2, 2023}}</ref>

Branagh started his first collaboration with [[Christopher Nolan]] portraying a Royal Navy [[Commander (Royal Navy)|Commander]] in the [[World War II]] action-thriller ''[[Dunkirk (2017 film)|Dunkirk]]'' (2017), based on the British military evacuation of the French city of Dunkirk in 1940.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/harry-styles-one-direction-christopher-nolan-dunkirk-1201728153/|title=Harry Styles, Fionn Whitehead to Star in Christopher Nolan WW2 Action-Thriller 'Dunkirk'|magazine=Variety|last=McNary|first=Dave|date=11 March 2016}}</ref> Branagh starred alongside [[Cillian Murphy]], [[Mark Rylance]], and [[Tom Hardy]]. The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for eight [[Academy Award]]s including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. That same year Branagh directed and starred in a film adaptation of [[Agatha Christie]]'s detective novel ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (2017 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]'' (2017) as [[Hercule Poirot]]. Production began in London in November 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Daisy Ridley and Dame Judi Dench on board for Murder on the Orient Expres|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37523752|agency=BBC News|date=30 September 2016}}</ref> Like Branagh's ''Hamlet'' in 1996,<ref>{{cite web |last=McGavin |first=Patrick |url=http://movieline.com/2012/08/17/the-master-chicago-screening-paul-thomas-anderson-music-box/ |title=The Master Rules in Chicago: 70 mm Screening Of Anderson Film Recalls Welles' The Lady From Shanghai |publisher=[[Movieline]]|work=Movieline.com |date=17 August 2012 |access-date=21 August 2012}}</ref> it is among the very few to use [[65mm film]] cameras since 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/murder-orient-express-review-1053433|title='Murder on the Orient Express': Film Review|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=2 November 2017}}</ref>

In 2018, he directed the film ''[[All Is True]]'', in which he starred as [[William Shakespeare]]. Branagh also directed the fantasy adventure film ''[[Artemis Fowl (film)|Artemis Fowl]]'', which was released on [[Disney+]] in June 2020. In May 2019, Branagh was cast in Christopher Nolan's ''[[Tenet (film)|Tenet]]'' (2020) in which he portrayed the villain Andrei Sator and was praised for his performance. Branagh acted alongside [[Robert Pattinson]], [[John David Washington]], and [[Elizabeth Debicki]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/christopher-nolan-tenet-movie-cast-release-date-1202620596/|title=Christopher Nolan's New Movie Gets A Title, Final Cast As Shooting Begins|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Patrick|last=Hipes|date=22 May 2019|access-date=22 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=25 August 2020|title=Tenet review – supremely ambitious race against time makes for superb cinema|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/25/tenet-review-christopher-nolan-head-scratchingly-ambitious|access-date=15 December 2020|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

=== 2021–present ===
[[File:Shankilltroubles.jpg|thumb|[[Shankill Road]], [[Belfast]] during the Troubles, 1970s]]
In 2021, Branagh directed the semi-autobiographical film ''[[Belfast (film)|Belfast]]'' starring [[Jude Hill]], [[Catriona Balfe]], [[Jamie Dornan]], [[Ciarán Hinds]], and [[Judi Dench]]. In the film, Branagh explores his childhood in [[Northern Ireland]] during a period of intense [[The Troubles|religious and political conflict]]. The film was shot in [[black-and-white]] with flickers of colour images. The film was shown both at the [[Telluride Film Festival]] and the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] where it won the [[Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award|People's Choice Award]] for the latter. The film was acclaimed by critics with [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' writing, "There is a terrific warmth and tenderness to Branagh’s elegiac, autobiographical movie about the Belfast of his childhood: spryly written, beautifully acted and shot in a lustrous monochrome, with set pieces, madeleines and epiphanies that feel like a more emollient version of [[Terence Davies]]."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/12/belfast-review-kenneth-branagh-jamie-dornan-judi-dench|title= Belfast review – Kenneth Branagh's euphoric eulogy to his home city|website= The Guardian|date= 20 January 2022|access-date= August 3, 2023|last1= Bradshaw|first1= Peter}}</ref> Stephen Farber of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' noted, "[While] Branagh’s most personal film is imperfect, the emotion that it builds in the final section, as the family plays out a wrenching universal drama of emigration, is searing".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/belfast-telluride-2021-1235008736/|title= 'Belfast': Film Review - Telluride 2021|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date= 4 September 2021|access-date= 3 August 2023}}</ref> The film earned seven [[Academy Award]] nominations including for
[[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]. Branagh won the [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]]. He also won the [[BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film]].

He reprised his role as Hercule Poirot in 2022's ''[[Death on the Nile (2022 film)|Death on the Nile]]'', a sequel to ''Murder on the Orient Express'' which he also directed.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Kenneth Branagh's Death On The Nile set for October 2020|url=https://www.filmstories.co.uk/news/kenneth-branagh-starts-filming-death-on-the-nile/|date=18 October 2019|website=Film Stories|language=en|access-date=11 May 2020 |last1=Brew |first1=Simon }}</ref> In March 2021, Branagh signed on to direct a biopic of music group the [[Bee Gees]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/bee-gees-movie-kenneth-branagh-directs-barry-gibb-paramount-bohemian-rhapsody-producer-graham-king-ben-elton-1234711502/|title=Kenneth Branagh To Direct Bee Gees Movie For Paramount|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|date=10 March 2021|access-date=9 November 2021}}</ref> In March 2022, it was revealed that Branagh left the project due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by [[John Carney (director)|John Carney]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=30 March 2022 |title='Once' Director John Carney To Direct Bee Gees Biopic For Paramount; John Logan To Pen Script |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/john-carney-bee-gees-biopic-for-paramount-and-sisters-1234990482/ |access-date=31 March 2022 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> In October 2022, it was announced that Branagh would direct and star in a third Poirot film titled ''[[A Haunting in Venice]]'', based on Christie's ''[[Hallowe'en Party]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 October 2022|url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/a-haunting-in-venice-kenneth-branagh-poirot-1235398277/|last=Panaligan|first=E. J.|title=Kenneth Branagh's Third Hercule Poirot Film 'A Haunting in Venice' Casts Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh and More|access-date=11 October 2022|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/a-haunting-in-venice-cast-revealed-kenneth-branagh-1235238310/|title=Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, Jude Hill Join Kenneth Branagh in Agatha Christie Mystery 'A Haunting in Venice'|website=hollywoodreporter.com|date=10 October 2022 |access-date=15 October 2022}}</ref> Branagh reunited with Christopher Nolan, portraying the [[Denmark|Danish]] [[physicist]] [[Niels Bohr]] in the war epic ''[[Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer]]'' (2023). That same year Branagh returned to the [[West End (theatre)|West End]] stage directing and acting in the [[Leir of Britain|title role]] in a stage adaptation of [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[King Lear]]'' at the [[Wyndham's Theatre]] in London.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.wyndhamstheatre.co.uk/whats-on/king-lear|title= King Lear|website= Wyndham's Theatre|accessdate= 17 April 2024}}</ref> [[Arifa Akbar]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote of the production: "although Branagh delivers his Lear with slick, almost playful efficiency, it is not his towering achievement".<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/oct/31/king-lear-review-kenneth-branagh-shakespeare-tragedy-wyndhams-theatre-london|title= King Lear review – Kenneth Branagh's fast and feverish tragedy|website= The Guardian|date= 31 October 2023|accessdate= 17 April 2024|last1= Akbar|first1= Arifa}}</ref> The production is set to have an [[Off-Broadway]] transfer at [[The Shed (arts center)|The Shed]] in the Fall of 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://playbill.com/article/kenneth-branagh-will-be-king-lear-at-off-broadways-the-shed|title= Kenneth Branagh Will Be King Lear at Off-Broadway's The Shed|website= Playbill|accessdate= 17 April 2024}}</ref> In May 2024, it was announced Branagh would write and direct the [[psychological thriller]] film ''The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde'', starring [[Jodie Comer]]; the film is expected to enter production in August 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|date=15 May 2024|url=https://deadline.com/2024/05/jodie-comer-kenneth-branagh-the-last-disturbance-of-madeline-hynde-1235915949/|title=Jodie Comer To Star In Kenneth Branagh's The Last Disturbance Of Madeline Hynde'|access-date=18 June 2024|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> In June 2025 it was reported that Branagh will play the husband of [[Miranda Priestly]] in ''[[The Devil Wears Prada 2]]'', scheduled to be released in 2026.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2025/film/news/devil-wears-prada-2-filming-cast-anne-hathaway-1236444123/|title= 'Devil Wears Prada 2' Starts Filming With Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci Returning; Kenneth Branagh Joins Cast|date=30 June 2025|access-date=30 June 2025|work=Variety}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
[[File:Kenneth Branagh at the Roma Fiction Fest 2009 by Giorgia Meschini.jpg|thumb|Branagh at Roma Fiction Fest in 2009]]
From 1989 to 1995, Branagh was married to English actress [[Emma Thompson]], who appeared with him in ''[[Fortunes of War (TV series)|Fortunes of War]]'', ''Look Back in Anger'', ''Henry V'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', ''[[Dead Again]]'', and ''[[Peter's Friends]]''. 

During their marriage, while directing and starring in ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]'' (1994), he began an affair with his co-star [[Helena Bonham Carter]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Hedges-Stocks |first=Zoah |author-link=Zoah Hedges-Stocks |date=28 February 2018 |title=Emma Thompson on acting Love Actually betrayal: 'I had my heart very badly broken by Kenneth Branagh' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2018/02/28/emma-thompson-acting-love-actually-betrayal-had-heart-badly/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2018/02/28/emma-thompson-acting-love-actually-betrayal-had-heart-badly/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |access-date=3 April 2020 |work=Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After Thompson divorced him, he and Bonham Carter were in a well-publicised relationship until 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/love-actually-emma-thompson-reveals-155428464.html|title='Love, Actually': Emma Thompson Reveals Heartbreaking Joni Mitchell Scene Inspired by Kenneth Branagh Divorce|date=28 February 2018|work=Yahoo! Entertainment|access-date=3 April 2020}}</ref> 

In 2003, he married film art director Lindsay Brunnock,<ref>White p. 271</ref> whom he met during the shooting of ''Shackleton'' in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/kenneth_branagh_biog/8 |title=Kenneth Branagh Biography |publisher=Tiscali UK |access-date=17 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713060829/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/kenneth_branagh_biog/8 |archive-date=13 July 2007 }}</ref>

Branagh has said that he considers himself Irish.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sir Kenneth Branagh, Belfast and the BBC| website=[[YouTube]] | date=30 April 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTcTDVVtIj0}}</ref> He has said that he became "much more religious" after listening to [[Laurence Olivier]]'s dramatic reading of the [[Bible]] every morning in preparation for his role as Olivier in ''[[My Week with Marilyn]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenneth Branagh on Sir Laurence Olivier in 'My Week With Marilyn': 'He Was Impatient'|url=https://www.branaghcompendium.com/artic-mwwm_moviefone_november2011.html|date=18 November 2011|website=www.branaghcompendium.com|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{main|Kenneth Branagh filmography}}
[[File:KennethBranaghApr2011.jpg|thumb|Kenneth Branagh in London in 2011]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+Directed features
|-
! Year
! Title
! Distributor
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]''
| [[The Samuel Goldwyn Company]]
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Dead Again]]''
| [[Paramount Pictures]]
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Peter's Friends]]''
|rowspan=2| The Samuel Goldwyn Company
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]''
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]''
| [[TriStar Pictures]]
|-
| 1995
| ''[[In the Bleak Midwinter (film)|In the Bleak Midwinter]]''
| [[Sony Pictures Classics]]
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]''
| [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Love's Labour's Lost (film)|Love's Labour's Lost]]''
| [[Pathé]] / [[Miramax]]
|-
|rowspan=2| 2006
| ''[[As You Like It (2006 film)|As You Like It]]''
| [[HBO Films]] / [[Lionsgate Films]]
|-
| ''[[The Magic Flute (2006 film)|The Magic Flute]]''
| Revolver Entertainment / [[Les Films du Losange]]
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Sleuth (2007 film)|Sleuth]]''
| Sony Pictures Classics
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Thor (film)|Thor]]''
|rowspan=2| Paramount Pictures
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit]]''
|-
| 2015
| ''[[Cinderella (2015 American film)|Cinderella]]''
| [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]]
|-
| 2017
| ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (2017 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]''
| [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]
|-
| 2018
| ''[[All Is True]]''
| Sony Pictures Classics
|-
| 2020
| ''[[Artemis Fowl (film)|Artemis Fowl]]''
| [[Disney+]]
|-
| 2021
| ''[[Belfast (film)|Belfast]]''
| [[Focus Features]]
|-
| 2022
| ''[[Death on the Nile (2022 film)|Death on the Nile]]''
| rowspan=2| [[20th Century Studios]]
|-
| 2023
| ''[[A Haunting in Venice]]''
|-
| TBA 
| ''[[The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde]]''
| TBA
|}

== Awards and honours ==
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Kenneth Branagh}}

Branagh has been nominated for eight [[Academy Awards]] and is the first individual to be nominated in seven different categories.<ref name=Davis>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/awards/awards/kenneth-branagh-oscar-nomination-record-1235172548/|title=Kenneth Branagh Becomes First Person Nominated in Seven Oscar Categories|last=Davis|first=Clayton|publisher=Variety|date=8 February 2022|access-date=9 February 2022|language=en}}</ref> His first two nominations were for ''Henry V'' (one each for directing and acting). He also received similar [[BAFTA Award]] nominations for his film work, winning one for his direction. His first BAFTA TV award came in April 2009, for Best Drama Series (''Wallander''). Branagh received two other Academy Award nominations for the 1992 film [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film|short subject]] ''Swan Song'' and for his work on the screenplay of ''Hamlet'' in 1996. His 5th nomination came for his portrayal of [[Laurence Olivier]] in ''[[My Week With Marilyn]]'' in 2012. This was followed by three nominations in 2022 for ''[[Belfast (film)|Belfast]]'' – his first nominations for Original Screenplay and Best Picture, winning for Original Screenplay. He thereby became the first person to have been nominated in seven different categories of the Academy Awards, surpassing [[Walt Disney]], [[George Clooney]], and [[Alfonso Cuarón]], each of whom have received nominations in six categories (the latest equalled Branagh the year after).

He is Honorary President of [[NICVA]] (the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action). He received an honorary [[Doctor of Letters|Doctorate in Literature]] from [[Queen's University of Belfast]] in 1990. He is also a patron for the charity Over The Wall.<ref>[http://www.otw.org.uk Over The Wall] official website</ref> He has also  served on the Board of Governors of the [[British Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite Hansard |house=House of Commons |title=Written Answers to Questions - National Heritage - Public Bodies|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199394/cmhansrd/1994-02-08/Writtens-1.html  |date=8 February 1994 |column_start=125 |column_end=126}}</ref> Branagh was the youngest actor to receive the [[The Gielgud Award|Golden Quill]] (also known as the Gielgud Award) in 2000. In 2001, he was appointed an honorary Doctor of Literature at the [[Shakespeare Institute]] of [[University of Birmingham|The University of Birmingham]]; the Shakespeare Institute Library keeps the archive of his Renaissance Theatre Company and Renaissance Films.<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary Graduates of the University of Birmingham since 2000 |url=https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/university/governance/honorary-degrees-of-the-university-of-birmingham-since-2000.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129094547/https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/governance/Honorary-Degrees-of-the-University-of-Birmingham-since-2000.pdf |archive-date=2020-11-29 |url-status=live |website=The University of Birmingham |language=en |access-date=6 February 2022}}</ref>

On 10 July 2009, Branagh was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RomaFictionFest.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lyman |first=Eric J. |date=12 June 2009 |title=Rome fest to honor Kenneth Branagh |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rome-fest-honor-kenneth-branagh-85330 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |publisher=Nielsen Business Media |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109114113/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rome-fest-honor-kenneth-branagh-85330 |archive-date=9 January 2014 |access-date=27 September 2015}}</ref> He was also listed on the [[Radio Times's TV 100|''Radio Times's'' TV 100 power list]] in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RadioTimes.com TV 100 2022 – the full list |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/tv-100-2022-full-list/ |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=Radio Times |language=en-GB}}</ref>

He was appointed a [[Knights Bachelor|Knight Bachelor]] in the [[2012 Birthday Honours]] for services to drama and to the community in Northern Ireland.<ref name="Knight">{{cite news |title=Birthday Honours: Branagh, Winslet and royal designer Burton on list |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18456061 |work=BBC News |date=16 June 2012 |access-date=16 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60173 |date=16 June 2012 |page=1 |supp=y}}</ref> He received the accolade at [[Buckingham Palace]] on 9 November 2012; afterwards, Branagh told a BBC reporter that he felt "humble, elated, and incredibly lucky" to be knighted.<ref name="Knight"/>

In October 2015, it was announced that Branagh would be the new President of the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] (RADA), succeeding the late [[Richard Attenborough|Richard, Lord Attenborough]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Furness |first=Hannah |date=3 October 2015 |title=Sir Kenneth Branagh made president of RADA to upstage the posh brigade |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/11907947/Sir-Kenneth-Branagh-made-president-of-RADA-to-upstage-the-posh-brigade.html |newspaper=TheTelegraph |access-date=3 October 2015}}</ref> As the President of RADA and one of the highest profile actors and filmmakers in contemporary [[British popular culture]], Branagh appeared on [[Debrett's]] 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK.<ref>{{cite news|title=Debrett's 500 List: Stage & Screen|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/debretts-500-list-stage-screen/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/debretts-500-list-stage-screen/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Telegraph |date=21 January 2017 |access-date=10 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In October 2017, it was announced that Branagh would be conferred with the [[Freedom of the City of Belfast]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir Kenneth Branagh to receive Belfast's highest honour |url=http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/News/News-84421.aspx |website=Belfast City Council |language=en-GB |access-date=29 January 2018 |archive-date=27 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527054138/https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/News/News-84421.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> The honour was officially conferred on him by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor [[Nuala McAllister]], at a ceremony in the Ulster Hall in Belfast on 30 January 2018.<ref name=":0" /> He was awarded the [[Freedom of the City|Freedom of the Town]] of [[Stratford-upon-Avon]] on 22 April 2022.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dame Judi Dench and Sir Kenneth Branagh given Freedom of Stratford-upon-Avon |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-61192667 |work=BBC News |language=en |date=22 April 2022 |access-date=24 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Suart |first=Paul |date=23 March 2022 |title=Famed duo Dame Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh coming to Stratford-upon-Avon |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/famed-duo-dame-judi-dench-23455670 |website=The Coventry Telegraph |access-date=24 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=STRATFORD-UPON-AVON TOWN COUNCIL SPECIAL TOWN COUNCIL MEETING 22 February 2022 |url=https://www.stratford-tc.gov.uk/files/Special_TC_Meeting_Mins_22.2.22.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220603155307/https://www.stratford-tc.gov.uk/files/Special_TC_Meeting_Mins_22.2.22.pdf |archive-date=2022-06-03 |url-status=live |website=Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council |language=en |access-date=24 April 2022}}</ref> Branagh stepped down as president of RADA in February 2024 and was succeeded by [[David Harewood]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gallagher |first1=Charlotte |title=David Harewood: Homeland star named new president of drama school Rada |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68295042 |access-date=15 February 2024 |work=BBC |date=15 February 2024}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Awards and nominations received by films directed by Branagh
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Academy Awards
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| BAFTA Awards
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Golden Globe Awards
|-
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]''
|align=center|3
|align=center|1
|align=center|6
|align=center|1
|
|
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Dead Again]]''
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]''
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]''
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]''
|align=center|4
|
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|-
| 2006
| ''[[As You Like It (2006 film)|As You Like It]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
| 2015
| ''[[Cinderella (2015 American film)|Cinderella]]''
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|-
| 2021
| ''[[Belfast (film)|Belfast]]''
|align=center|7
|align=center|1
|align=center|6
|align=center|1
|align=center|7
|align=center|1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!align=center|16
!align=center|2
!align=center|18
!align=center|2
!align=center|10
!align=center|1
|}

== Discography ==
* Shakespeare's ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'' (complete) for Naxos Audiobooks
* ''In the Ravine & Other Short Stories'' by [[Anton Chekhov]] (unabridged) for Naxos Audiobooks
* [[Felix Mendelssohn]]'s [[A Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn)|incidental music for ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'']] (speaker) live recording for [[Sony Classical]], conducted by [[Claudio Abbado]]
* ''The Diary of [[Samuel Pepys]] 1660–1669'' (abridged) for Hodder Headline Audio Classics
* ''[[The Magician's Nephew]]'' by C.S. Lewis for Harper Books
* Shakespeare's "[[Sonnet 30]]" for the 2002 [[compilation album]], ''[[When Love Speaks]]'' ([[EMI Classics]])
* Mary Shelley's ''[[Frankenstein]]'' [Abridged]
* [[Joseph Conrad]]'s ''[[Heart of Darkness]]'' for Audible.com.
* "The Duck and the Kangaroo", read for ''Fairy Tales'', an album of poems and music for children (orchidclassics.com)

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Kenneth Branagh (1990 [1989]) ''Beginning'', London: Chatto and Windus, {{ISBN|0-7011-3388-0}}; New York: W. W. Norton & Co, {{ISBN|0-393-02862-3}}.
* [[Ian Shuttleworth]] (1994) ''Ken & Em'', London: Headline. {{ISBN|0-7472-4718-8}}.
* Mark White (2005) ''Kenneth Branagh'', London: Faber and Faber. {{ISBN|0-571-22068-1}}.

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Charlie Rose guest|469}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120927054756/http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/kenneth-branagh/biography/71 Biography] on Tiscali film section
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050410224403/http://home.nyc.rr.com/alweisel/premierekennethbranagh.htm Kenneth Branagh interview from Premiere] (1996)
* [https://web.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/branagh.html Interview] with [[Cary Mazer]]
* [https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/InformationServices/TheLibrary/SpecialCollections/FileStore/Filetoupload,677760,en.pdf Branagh Collection at Queen's University, Belfast]

{{S-start}}
{{S-media}}
{{S-bef|before = [[Richard Attenborough|The Lord Attenborough]]}}
{{S-ttl|title = President of the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]|years = 2015–2024}}
{{S-inc}}
{{S-end}}

{{Kenneth Branagh}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Kenneth Branagh|Awards for Kenneth Branagh]]
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Original Screenplay}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Direction}}
{{BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award}}
{{British Academy Television Award for Best Actor 2000–2019}}
{{BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards}}
{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor}}
{{International Emmy for Best Performance by an Actor}}
{{EmmyAward MiniseriesLeadActor 2001-2025}}
{{European Film Award for Best Actor}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Screenplay}}
{{Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Supporting Actor of the Year}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Director}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best New Director}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor}}
{{Satellite Award Best Original Screenplay}}
{{OlivierAward SpecialAward}}
{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay}}
}}
{{British Triple Crown of Acting winners}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Branagh, Kenneth}}
[[Category:Kenneth Branagh| ]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:20th-century male actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:21st-century male actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Actor-managers]]
[[Category:Actors awarded knighthoods]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:Audiobook narrators]]
[[Category:BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor European Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Director BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Screenplay Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners]]
[[Category:Directors of European Discovery European Film Award winners]]
[[Category:English-language film directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Belfast]]
[[Category:Film producers from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Golden Osella winners]]
[[Category:Governors of the British Film Institute]]
[[Category:International Emmy Award for Best Actor winners]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Belfast]]
[[Category:Male actors from Reading, Berkshire]]
[[Category:Male film actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Male screenwriters from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Male Shakespearean actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Male stage actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Male television actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Male television writers from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Male voice actors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Reading, Berkshire]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:People from Northern Ireland of English descent]]
[[Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members]]
[[Category:Shakespearean directors]]
[[Category:Television directors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Television editors from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Television producers from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Ulster Protestants]]
[[Category:Writers from Belfast]]
[[Category:Writers from Reading, Berkshire]]