About Kenneth Branagh
Early LifeAccording to Sydney J. Jones, Kenneth Branagh, born in Belfast, Ireland, moved to Reading, England after violence broke out between Catholics and Protestants in Belfast. Branagh’s father worked at the docks, and expected his son to do the same when he grew up (Jones). Not until seeing the films The Birdman of Alcatraz and A Christmas Carol was Branagh interested in the art of filmmaking and acting (Jones). Once he was exposed to these films, he was unable to focus on anything else. Branagh knew he wanted to act from the age of sixteen and soon began attending as many Shakespeare plays as he could around England (Jones). Many people doubted Branagh and his future, especially because he was from a working class family, but Branagh, hoping to take his interest to the next level, applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he ultimately excelled in his class (Kenneth Branagh).
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MidlifeKenneth Branagh found success at a young age right out of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. In a risky one-man show, Branagh created a play entitled The Madness out of the poem “Maud”, by Alfred Lord Tennyson; Branagh even payed for the staging himself (Jones). His gamble paid off when the he was named “the most exciting actor in years” by the London Times (Jones). Branagh had an ongoing love for Shakespeare, and after quitting the Royal Shakespeare Company, due to dislike of how it was run, Branagh and his friend, David Parfitt, started the Renaissance Theater Company (Kenneth Branagh). While the company took some time to get going, it ended up “gain[ing] a reputation for quality work” (Kenneth Branagh). But Branagh found his ultimate success in his rendition of Henry V, the first film he directed, as he was Oscar nominated for both Best Director and Best Actor (Kenneth Branagh). He also received the British Academy Award and National Board of Review Best Directors Award (Kenneth Branagh).
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Recent CareerIn addition to being a inventive and smart director, Branagh is a gifted actor; he received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn (Kenneth Branagh). Branching out recently, Branagh began exploring the fantasy genre, with Thor and Cinderella (Kenneth Branagh). While Branagh was originally doubted by many Marvel fans for being only a “Shakespeare guy”, he ended up doing a tremendous job with Thor (Kenneth Branagh). He also experimented in the action genre, with Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, in which be both directed and acted (Billson). Branagh continues to impress with each new category he tries out, and his career is far from over.
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Honors Literature and Film Classics
Norman-Risch
Douglas Williamson
Norman-Risch
Douglas Williamson