Emma Thompson is a British actress, author, and screenwriter. She is best known for her roles in movies like Howards End, Sense and Sensibility, Much Ado About Nothing, Love Actually, Beauty and the Beast, and many more movies. She has also starred in the Harry Potter franchise and Men In Black franchise. Thompson is a critically acclaimed actress with two Academy Awards, one Emmy as well as three BAFTAs. She was also made a dame by Queen Elizabeth in 2018.
Thompson has won two Oscars, one for Best Actress in 1992 for the movie Howards End and the second for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1995 for Sense and Sensibility. However, she has recently revealed in an interview how the Oscars campaigning was grueling for her and how both times she won an Oscar, she fell ill. What happened with Thompson and why doesn’t she like campaigning for the Oscars? Read on to find out.
Emma Thompson’s Experience With Oscars Campaigning
In an interview with Radio Times, Emma Thompson shed light on her Oscar wins and the campaigning she had to do for the same. While winning an Oscar is indeed a big honor, she felt as if the entire campaigning process is grueling and excruciating. He also said how both times after winning her Oscar she was severely ill.
She said in the interview, “Both times I had to do the Oscars I got seriously ill. I found the pressure and glare of it too much. It’s astonishing – and then afterward you want to lie down in a dark room. You think, ‘please don’t ask me any questions or make me talk about myself.’”
She also added: “I quickly developed a sort of allergy to that part of the job. I’m lucky – I think it must be awful if you’re James Bond.” She elaborated saying how she finds fame very toxic. She said that she felt fame can be a “highly toxic condition” but that being grounded helps.
Emma Thompson also quipped that she is happy that fame came gradually for her. She admits that it would have been difficult if she had achieved overnight success. She said, “To lose your anonymity completely … it’s not very pleasant for you or the people around you.”
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Other Actors Who Raised Concern About Oscar Campaigns
Emma Thompson is not the only celeb who has raised concerns about the pain-staking Oscar campaigning. Other celebs have also voiced their concerns about how the process is unfair and unequal. Campaigning is notorious for making or breaking one’s chances of winning or even getting nominated.
The rigorous campaigning for Oscars came to light recently after Andrea Riseborough was nominated in the Best Actress category. To say that the nomination was shocking is an understatement. It has been rumored that the actress received a nomination after last minute intense campaign which involved shout-outs from celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Charlize Theron, Howard Stern, and Edward Norton.
The nomination is also gaining heat as there were no black women nominated. Some of the actresses like Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler, who were assumed to get nominated were shut out of the race entirely. The public is claiming that the Oscars continue white privilege by making such moves.
Another actor who has voiced his concern against Oscars campaigning, aside from Emma Thompson, is James McAvoy, who claimed that campaigning for an Oscar made him feel cheap. He refused to campaign so to land a nomination for his work on ‘Atonement’. He remarked that he can promote the film forward, but cannot campaign for himself as the process is arduous and demanding. Although McAvoy would not campaign for himself, he is more than happy to do it for his fellow co-stars.
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