Emma Thompson recounts Trump call on Primary Colors set

Emma Thompson describes a phone call from Donald Trump on the Primary Colors set and calls it stalking.

Emma Thompson recounts Trump call on Primary Colors set

Emma Thompson told a Locarno Film Festival audience that she received a phone call from Donald Trump while filming Primary Colors in 1998. She recalled hearing his voice ask to come and stay at one of his properties and to have dinner. Thompson said she initially thought it was a joke, but later realized the number had been found in her trailer. She described the episode as stalking and noted the timing aligned with the arrival of her divorce decree.

Beyond the Trump anecdote, Thompson reflected on Love Actually and her broader career, noting both surprise at the film's lasting appeal and the quirks of audience memory. Locarno also honored her with the Leopard Club Award for career achievement as the festival continues through August 16, underscoring how personal stories shape public memory of film work.

Thompson's recollection spotlights how the worlds of politics and cinema collide on the stage of a film festival. The anecdote invites questions about privacy, power, and the temptations of celebrity in late 1990s Hollywood. It also shows how public events can pepper a veteran actor's legacy with new context.

Highlights

Personal stories will keep shaping how we remember old films