- Born
- Birth nameKenneth Charles Branagh
- Nickname
- Ken
- Height5′ 9½″ (1.77 m)
- Kenneth Charles Branagh was born on December 10, 1960, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to parents William Branagh, a plumber and carpenter, and Frances (Harper), both born in 1930. He has two siblings, William Branagh, Jr. (born 1955) and Joyce Branagh (born 1970). When he was nine, his family escaped The Troubles by moving to Reading, Berkshire, England. At 23, Branagh joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he took on starring roles in "Henry V" and "Romeo and Juliet". He soon found the RSC too large and impersonal and formed his own, the Renaissance Theatre Company, which was disbanded in 1992 when he moved more fully into filmmaking. At 29, he directed Henry V (1989), where he also co-starred with his then-wife, Emma Thompson. The film brought him Best Actor and Best Director Oscar nominations. In 1993, he brought Shakespeare to mainstream audiences again with his hit adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing (1993), which featured an all-star cast that included, among others, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton and Keanu Reeves. At 30, he published his autobiography and, at 34, he directed and starred as "Victor Frankenstein" in the big-budget adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein (1994), with Robert De Niro as the monster himself. In 1996, Branagh wrote, directed and starred in a lavish adaptation of Hamlet (1996). His superb film acting work also includes a wide range of roles such as in Celebrity (1998), Wild Wild West (1999), The Road to El Dorado (2000), Valkyrie (2008) and his stunning portrayal of Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn (2011), where once again he offered a great performance that was also nominated for an Academy Award.- IMDb Mini Biography By: TrendEkiD@aol.com and Markos.
- SpousesLindsay Brunnock(May 24, 2003 - present)Emma Thompson(August 20, 1989 - October 1, 1995) (divorced)
- ChildrenNo Children
- ParentsWilliam BranaghFrances Harper
- RelativesWilliam Branagh Jr.(Sibling)Joyce Branagh(Sibling)
- Likes to use very long takes (3-4 minutes) at certain points during his films.
- Frequently gives small roles to Patrick Doyle, his composer.
- Frequently works with Director of Photography Roger Lanser, with whom he has made eight films.
- Frequently works with director Christopher Nolan.
- He has been a fan of "Thor" since childhood. When Marvel Studios selected Branagh as the director of the film adaptation, they sent him the complete collection of the Marvel Thor comics series as reference material for the character.
- Grew up in poverty in the shadow of a tobacco factory in Belfast. Kenneth was just nine years old when he and his family left Belfast and moved to England.
- Despite having lived in England for the majority of his life and being associated closely with it, he considers himself more Irish than English.
- Was originally considered for the part of the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).
- At age 23, he became the youngest actor in the Royal Shakespeare Company to ever play the lead in Shakespeare's "Henry V".
- I feel more Irish than English. I feel freer than British, more visceral, with a love of language. Shot through with fire in some way. That's why I resist being appropriated as the current repository of Shakespeare on the planet. That would mean I'm part of the English cultural elite, and I am utterly ill-fitted to be.
- I think the best actors are the most generous, the kindest, the greatest people and at their worst they are vain, greedy and insecure.
- I'm just a foul-mouthed Brit.
- My definition of success is control.
- Friendship is one of the most tangible things in a world which offers fewer and fewer supports.
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