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* RaceLift: He casts actors so blindly of their race that one suspects it's a deliberate habit. However, he casts ''really'' good actors in pivotal roles, so its not just a cheap trick.
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* RaceLift: He casts actors so blindly of their race that one suspects it's a deliberate habit. However, he casts ''really'' good actors in pivotal roles, so its not just a cheap trick.
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** His casting of IdrisElba as the historically white Viking-god Heimdall in ''{{Film/Thor}}'' generated quite a bit of controversy. However, after seeing Elba's performance, many reviews have commented that if racists idiots are getting upset, ol' Kenny must be doing something right.
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** His casting of IdrisElba as the historically white Viking-god Heimdall in ''{{Film/Thor}}'' generated quite a bit of controversy. However, after seeing Elba's performance, many reviews have reviewers commented that if racists idiots are getting upset, upset about this, ol' Kenny must be doing something right.right.
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* WTHCastingAgency: A rare positive example in his aforementioned casting of black actors in roles people normally expect to be white. The positive part is that he has the clout and the intellect to cast some [[DenzelWashington really]] [[IdrisElba good]] [[AsYouLikeIt actors]].
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** His casting of IdrisElba as the historically white Viking-god Heimdall in Film/Thor had its fair share of controversy. However, after seeing Elba's performance, some have commented that if racists idiots are getting upset, ol' Kenny must be doing something right.
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** His casting of IdrisElba as the historically white Viking-god Heimdall in Film/Thor had its fair share ''{{Film/Thor}}'' generated quite a bit of controversy. However, after seeing Elba's performance, some many reviews have commented that if racists idiots are getting upset, ol' Kenny must be doing something right.
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** His casting of IdrisElba as the historically white Viking-god Heimdall in Film/Thor had its fair share of controversy. However, as some have commented, if the racists idiots are getting upset, he must be doing something right.
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** His casting of IdrisElba as the historically white Viking-god Heimdall in Film/Thor had its fair share of controversy. However, as after seeing Elba's performance, some have commented, commented that if the racists idiots are getting upset, he ol' Kenny must be doing something right.
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* RaceLift: He casts actors so blindly of their race that one suspects it's a deliberate habit.
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* RaceLift: He casts actors so blindly of their race that one suspects it's a deliberate habit. However, he casts ''really'' good actors in pivotal roles, so its not just a cheap trick.
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** His casting of IdrisElba as the historically white Viking-god Heimdall in Film/Thor had its fair share of controversy. However, as some have commented, if the racists idiots are getting upset, he must be doing something right.
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Other films in which Branagh has directed himself include ''Film/DeadAgain'', ''Film/PetersFriends'', ''Film/MaryShelleysFrankenstein'', and the upcoming ''Film/JackRyanShadowRecruit''. Films in which other people have directed Branagh include Barry Sonnenfeld's ''Film/WildWildWest'', Frank Pierson's ''Film/{{Conspiracy}}'', Phillip Noyce's ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'', Creator/ChrisColumbus's ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Celebrity'', BryanSinger's ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'', Oliver Parker's ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'', Joseph Sargent's ''Warm Springs'', and Simon Curtis's ''Film/MyWeekWithMarilyn''. (Oh, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and]] Creator/{{Dreamworks}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado''.)
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Other films in which Branagh has directed himself include ''Film/DeadAgain'', ''Film/PetersFriends'', ''Film/MaryShelleysFrankenstein'', and the upcoming ''Film/JackRyanShadowRecruit''. Films in which other people have directed Branagh include Barry Sonnenfeld's ''Film/WildWildWest'', Frank Pierson's ''Film/{{Conspiracy}}'', Phillip Noyce's ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'', Creator/ChrisColumbus's ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Celebrity'', BryanSinger's ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'', Oliver Parker's ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'', Joseph Sargent's ''Warm Springs'', and Simon Curtis's ''Film/MyWeekWithMarilyn''. (Oh, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and]] Creator/{{Dreamworks}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado''.)
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* CommonKnowledge: A lot of people assume Branagh directed ''Othello'', since it's the only Shakespeare adaptation he's starred in that he didn't direct.
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* FakeRussian: As the BigBad in ''Film/JackRyanShadowRecruit''.
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Other films in which Branagh has directed himself include ''Film/DeadAgain'', ''Film/PetersFriends'', ''Film/MaryShelleysFrankenstein'', and the upcoming ''Literature/JackRyan''. Films in which other people have directed Branagh include Barry Sonnenfeld's ''Film/WildWildWest'', Frank Pierson's ''Film/{{Conspiracy}}'', Phillip Noyce's ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'', Creator/ChrisColumbus's ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Celebrity'', BryanSinger's ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'', Oliver Parker's ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'', Joseph Sargent's ''Warm Springs'', and Simon Curtis's ''Film/MyWeekWithMarilyn''. (Oh, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and]] Creator/{{Dreamworks}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado''.)
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Other films in which Branagh has directed himself include ''Film/DeadAgain'', ''Film/PetersFriends'', ''Film/MaryShelleysFrankenstein'', and the upcoming ''Literature/JackRyan''.''Film/JackRyanShadowRecruit''. Films in which other people have directed Branagh include Barry Sonnenfeld's ''Film/WildWildWest'', Frank Pierson's ''Film/{{Conspiracy}}'', Phillip Noyce's ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'', Creator/ChrisColumbus's ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Celebrity'', BryanSinger's ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'', Oliver Parker's ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'', Joseph Sargent's ''Warm Springs'', and Simon Curtis's ''Film/MyWeekWithMarilyn''. (Oh, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and]] Creator/{{Dreamworks}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado''.)
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** Branagh is also a fan of Laurence Olivier, and many have compared the two's career paths (as they both have successfully directed several Shakespeare adaptations). So, this made it all the better when Branagh was cast AS Olivier in ''MyWeekWithMarilyn'', which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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** Branagh is also a fan of Laurence Olivier, and many have compared the two's career paths (as they both have successfully directed several Shakespeare adaptations). So, this made it all the better things humorous when Branagh was cast AS Olivier in ''MyWeekWithMarilyn'', which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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** Branagh is also a fan of Laurence Olivier, and many have compared the two's career paths (as they both have successfully directed several Shakespeare adaptations). So, this made it all the better when Branagh was cast AS Olivier in ''MyWeekWithMarilyn'', which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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* ProductionPosse: Branagh's posse includes Creator/BrianBlessed, Richard Briers, Creator/DerekJacobi, Jimmy Yuill and (while they were married) EmmaThompson, as well as composer Patrick Doyle.
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* ProductionPosse: Branagh's posse includes Creator/BrianBlessed, Richard Briers, Creator/DerekJacobi, Jimmy Yuill and (while they were married) EmmaThompson, Creator/EmmaThompson, as well as composer Patrick Doyle.
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** Branagh was married to EmmaThompson from 1989 to 1995. Count how many of his films feature her as his wife or love interest during that period. Interestingly, his one role in ''Film/HarryPotter'' (''Chamber of Secrets'') was right before her debut (''Prisoner of Azkaban'').
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** Branagh was married to EmmaThompson Creator/EmmaThompson from 1989 to 1995. Count how many of his films feature her as his wife or love interest during that period. Interestingly, his one role in ''Film/HarryPotter'' (''Chamber of Secrets'') was right before her debut (''Prisoner of Azkaban'').
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** His most blatant example of this took part early in his career. In his Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing he has Creator/DenzelWashington and Creator/KeanuReeves play brothers. Okay, half-brothers. Fair enough. One of them is the noble Duke that everyone respects and follows. The other is his bastard half-brother who is insulted over how everyone hates him because of his parentage and uses this as an justification to be the villain of the piece. The film is set in medieval europe. So who do you think plays the Duke and who plays the Bastard? Wrong.
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** His most blatant example of this took part early in his career. In his Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing he has Creator/DenzelWashington and Creator/KeanuReeves play brothers. Okay, half-brothers. Fair enough. One of them is the noble Duke that everyone respects and follows. The other is his bastard half-brother who is insulted over how everyone hates him because of his parentage and uses this as an justification to be the villain of the piece. The film is set in medieval 19th century europe. So who do you think plays the Duke and who plays the Bastard? Wrong.
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** Had become such a fan of the ''Series/Wallander'' novels, that he personally approached Henning Mankell at a Creator/IngmarBergman film festival in 2007, and asked if he could play the Swedish detective in Creator/The BBC's adaptation.
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** Had become such a fan of the ''Series/Wallander'' ''Wallander'' novels, that he personally approached Henning Mankell at a Creator/IngmarBergman film festival in 2007, and asked if he could play the Swedish detective in Creator/The BBC's Creator/{{The BBC}}'s adaptation.
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Thought Branagh asking to play Wallander fitted under Promoted Fanboy.
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** Had become such a fan of the ''Series/Wallander'' novels, that he personally approached Henning Mankell at a Creator/IngmarBergman film festival in 2007, and asked if he could play the Swedish detective in Creator/The BBC's adaptation.
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He is probably most widely known for his film versions of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare's]] plays, which include ''Theatre/HenryV'' (1989), ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'' (1993), ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' (1996), ''Theatre/LovesLaboursLost'' (2000) and ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt'' (2006). Branagh adapted and directed all five, and starred in all but ''As You Like It''. ''Hamlet'' is notable for including every single line of the play, running slightly over four hours.
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He is probably most widely known for his film versions of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare's]] plays, which include ''Theatre/HenryV'' (1989), ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'' (1993), ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' (1996), ''Theatre/LovesLaboursLost'' (2000) and ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt'' (2006). Branagh adapted and directed all five, and starred in all but ''As You Like It''. ''Hamlet'' is notable for including every single line of the play, [[EpicMovie running slightly over four hours.
hours.]]
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** Also Creator/WilliamShakespeare}}: Fell in love with the bard at an early age is now arguably concidered the greatest translator of his works to the Big Screen.
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** Also Creator/WilliamShakespeare}}: Creator/WilliamShakespeare: Fell in love with the bard at an early age is now arguably concidered the greatest translator of his works to the Big Screen.
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** Also Creator/WilliamShakespeare}}: Fell in love with the bard at an early age is now arguably concidered the greatest translator of his works to the Big Screen.
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** His most blatant example of this took part early in his career. In his Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing he has Creator/DenzelWashington and Creator/KeanuReeves play brothers. Okay, half-brothers. Fair enough. One of them is the noble Duke that everyone respects and follows. The other is his bastard half-brother who is insulted over how everyone hates him because of his parentage and uses this as an justification to be the villain of the piece. The film is set in medieval europe. So who do you think plays the Duke and who plays the villain? Wrong.
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** His most blatant example of this took part early in his career. In his Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing he has Creator/DenzelWashington and Creator/KeanuReeves play brothers. Okay, half-brothers. Fair enough. One of them is the noble Duke that everyone respects and follows. The other is his bastard half-brother who is insulted over how everyone hates him because of his parentage and uses this as an justification to be the villain of the piece. The film is set in medieval europe. So who do you think plays the Duke and who plays the villain? Bastard? Wrong.
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** His most blatant example of this took part early in his career. In his Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing he has {{Creator/DenzelWashington}} and {{Creator/KeanuReeves}} play brothers. Okay, half-brothers. Fair enough. One of them is the noble Duke that everyone respects and follows. The other is his bastard half-brother who is insulted over how everyone hates him because of his parentage and uses this as an justification to be the villain of the piece. The film is set in medieval europe. So who do you think plays the Duke and who plays the villain? Wrong.
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** His most blatant example of this took part early in his career. In his Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing he has {{Creator/DenzelWashington}} Creator/DenzelWashington and {{Creator/KeanuReeves}} Creator/KeanuReeves play brothers. Okay, half-brothers. Fair enough. One of them is the noble Duke that everyone respects and follows. The other is his bastard half-brother who is insulted over how everyone hates him because of his parentage and uses this as an justification to be the villain of the piece. The film is set in medieval europe. So who do you think plays the Duke and who plays the villain? Wrong.
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* RaceLift: He casts actors so blindly of their race that one suspects it's a deliberate habit.
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* RaceLift: He casts actors so blindly of their race that one suspects it's a deliberate habit.
** His most blatant example of this took part early in his career. In his Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing he has {{Creator/DenzelWashington}} and {{Creator/KeanuReeves}} play brothers. Okay, half-brothers. Fair enough. One of them is the noble Duke that everyone respects and follows. The other is his bastard half-brother who is insulted over how everyone hates him because of his parentage and uses this as an justification to be the villain of the piece. The film is set in medieval europe. So who do you think plays the Duke and who plays the villain? Wrong.
** His most blatant example of this took part early in his career. In his Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing he has {{Creator/DenzelWashington}} and {{Creator/KeanuReeves}} play brothers. Okay, half-brothers. Fair enough. One of them is the noble Duke that everyone respects and follows. The other is his bastard half-brother who is insulted over how everyone hates him because of his parentage and uses this as an justification to be the villain of the piece. The film is set in medieval europe. So who do you think plays the Duke and who plays the villain? Wrong.
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--> I first encountered Creator/{{Shakespeare}} when I was about fourteen years old, [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible and it really made no sense.]] I then went to see a play when I was fifteen years old, [[EurekaMoment and it changed my life.]]
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Spellcheck
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} when I was about fourteen years old, [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible and i reallly made no sence.]] I then went to see a play when I was fifteen years old, [[EurekaMoment and it changed my life.]]
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} Creator/{{Shakespeare}} when I was about fourteen years old, [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible and i reallly it really made no sence.sense.]] I then went to see a play when I was fifteen years old, [[EurekaMoment and it changed my life.]]
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from the Caenes promo for the uncut Hamlet from 1996.
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} when I was about fourteen years old, [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible and i reallly made no sence.]] I then went to see a play when I was fifteen years old, [[EurekaMoment and it changed my life.]] It was filled with love and hate and sex [[TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples and every thing else.]]
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} when I was about fourteen years old, [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible and i reallly made no sence.]] I then went to see a play when I was fifteen years old, [[EurekaMoment and it changed my life.
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} when I was about fourteen years old, [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible and i reallly made no sence.]] I then went to see a play when I was fifteen years old, [[EurekaMoment and it changed my life.]] It was filled with love and hate and sex [[TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples and every thing else.]]
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} when I was about fourteen years old, [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible and i reallly made no sence.]] I then went to see a play when I was fifteen years old, [[EurekaMoment and it changed my life.]]
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} when I was about fourteen years old, [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible and i reallly made no sence.]] I then went to see a play when I was fifteen years old, [[EurekaMoment and it changed my life.]]
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Badly written, not cited.
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} when I was about 14 years old. [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible And i reallly made no sence.]] \\
I then went to see a play when I was 15. and it changed my life.
I then went to see a play when I was 15. and it changed my life.
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--> I first encountered {{Shakespeare}} when I was about 14 years old. [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible And i reallly made no sence.]] \\
I then went to see a play when I was 15. and it changed my life.
I then went to see a play when I was 15. and it changed my life.
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* ProductionPosse: Branagh's posse includes Creator/BrianBlessed, Richard Briers, DerekJacobi, Jimmy Yuill and (while they were married) EmmaThompson, as well as composer Patrick Doyle.
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* ProductionPosse: Branagh's posse includes Creator/BrianBlessed, Richard Briers, DerekJacobi, Creator/DerekJacobi, Jimmy Yuill and (while they were married) EmmaThompson, as well as composer Patrick Doyle.
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Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh is a British actor and director.
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[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kennethbranagh.jpg]]
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh is a British actor and director.
He is probably most widely known for his film versions of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare's]] plays, which include ''Theatre/HenryV'' (1989), ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'' (1993), ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' (1996), ''Theatre/LovesLaboursLost'' (2000) and ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt'' (2006). Branagh adapted and directed all five, and starred in all but ''As You Like It''. ''Hamlet'' is notable for including every single line of the play, running slightly over four hours.
Other films in which Branagh has directed himself include ''Film/DeadAgain'', ''Film/PetersFriends'', ''Film/MaryShelleysFrankenstein'', and the upcoming ''Literature/JackRyan''. Films in which other people have directed Branagh include Barry Sonnenfeld's ''Film/WildWildWest'', Frank Pierson's ''Film/{{Conspiracy}}'', Phillip Noyce's ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'', Creator/ChrisColumbus's ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Celebrity'', BryanSinger's ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'', Oliver Parker's ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'', Joseph Sargent's ''Warm Springs'', and Simon Curtis's ''Film/MyWeekWithMarilyn''. (Oh, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and]] Creator/{{Dreamworks}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado''.)
Films Branagh has directed and not starred in include ''Film/InTheBleakMidwinter'', ''Theatre/TheMagicFlute'', the remake of ''{{Sleuth}}'', and ''Film/{{Thor}}''.
His television credits include an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallander_%28British_TV_series%29#Awards award-winning performance]] as Kurt Wallander in the ''Series/{{Wallander}}'' series (2008-2012) based on the novels of Henning Mankell. He was also the narrator of the ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs'' series.
Granted knighthood by [[HMTheQueen Queen Elizabeth II]] in June 2012.
He played Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 2012 London OlympicGames opening ceremony.
----
!!Tropes associated with Kenneth Branagh include:
* BlackVikings: Practically a trademark of his style. In ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'', he cast DenzelWashington as the Prince of Castile; in ''Film/{{Thor}}'', it was Idris Elba as the Norse god Heimdall; and in ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', there was a black soldier in the Swedish army.
* CommonKnowledge: A lot of people assume Branagh directed ''Othello'', since it's the only Shakespeare adaptation he's starred in that he didn't direct.
* FakeAmerican: Fairly convincingly, in ''Celebrity'', ''Warm Springs'', and ''Dead Again''; [[LargeHam somewhat less so]] in ''Film/WildWildWest''.
* [[LargeHam/{{Film}} Large Ham]]
* NiceHat: His Olympic Games role.
* ProductionPosse: Branagh's posse includes Creator/BrianBlessed, Richard Briers, DerekJacobi, Jimmy Yuill and (while they were married) EmmaThompson, as well as composer Patrick Doyle.
* PromotedFanboy: Branagh, reportedly, is a big-time ''{{Thor}}'' geek, and has been since childhood. One suspects his ear for Shakespeare was honed by the faux-Elizabethan dialogue of Marvel's Asgardians.
* RealLifeRelative:
** Branagh was married to EmmaThompson from 1989 to 1995. Count how many of his films feature her as his wife or love interest during that period. Interestingly, his one role in ''Film/HarryPotter'' (''Chamber of Secrets'') was right before her debut (''Prisoner of Azkaban'').
** He was also with Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter from 1995 to 1999 (they supposedly first got together when working on ''Frankenstein'' in 1994) and subsequently cast her as well.
* RaceLift: He casts actors so blindly of their race that one suspects it's a deliberate habit.
* WalkAndTalk: [[WebVideo/EchoChamber He did it first.]]
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Was rumored to be a front-runner to play a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels.
----
!!References to Kenneth Branagh in fiction:
* In ''Series/{{Blackadder}} Back and Forth'', a time-travelling Blackadder meets Creator/WilliamShakespeare and beats him up in retribution for providing the tools with which centuries of students have been tormented. He adds [[AndThisIsFor an extra blow specifically for]] "Ken Branagh's endless, uncut, four-hour version of ''Hamlet''".
-->'''Shakespeare:''' Who's Ken Branagh?\\
'''Blackadder:''' I'll tell him you said that. And ''I'' think he'll be very hurt.
----
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh is a British actor and director.
He is probably most widely known for his film versions of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare's]] plays, which include ''Theatre/HenryV'' (1989), ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'' (1993), ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' (1996), ''Theatre/LovesLaboursLost'' (2000) and ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt'' (2006). Branagh adapted and directed all five, and starred in all but ''As You Like It''. ''Hamlet'' is notable for including every single line of the play, running slightly over four hours.
Other films in which Branagh has directed himself include ''Film/DeadAgain'', ''Film/PetersFriends'', ''Film/MaryShelleysFrankenstein'', and the upcoming ''Literature/JackRyan''. Films in which other people have directed Branagh include Barry Sonnenfeld's ''Film/WildWildWest'', Frank Pierson's ''Film/{{Conspiracy}}'', Phillip Noyce's ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'', Creator/ChrisColumbus's ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Celebrity'', BryanSinger's ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'', Oliver Parker's ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'', Joseph Sargent's ''Warm Springs'', and Simon Curtis's ''Film/MyWeekWithMarilyn''. (Oh, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and]] Creator/{{Dreamworks}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado''.)
Films Branagh has directed and not starred in include ''Film/InTheBleakMidwinter'', ''Theatre/TheMagicFlute'', the remake of ''{{Sleuth}}'', and ''Film/{{Thor}}''.
His television credits include an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallander_%28British_TV_series%29#Awards award-winning performance]] as Kurt Wallander in the ''Series/{{Wallander}}'' series (2008-2012) based on the novels of Henning Mankell. He was also the narrator of the ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs'' series.
Granted knighthood by [[HMTheQueen Queen Elizabeth II]] in June 2012.
He played Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 2012 London OlympicGames opening ceremony.
----
!!Tropes associated with Kenneth Branagh include:
* BlackVikings: Practically a trademark of his style. In ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'', he cast DenzelWashington as the Prince of Castile; in ''Film/{{Thor}}'', it was Idris Elba as the Norse god Heimdall; and in ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', there was a black soldier in the Swedish army.
* CommonKnowledge: A lot of people assume Branagh directed ''Othello'', since it's the only Shakespeare adaptation he's starred in that he didn't direct.
* FakeAmerican: Fairly convincingly, in ''Celebrity'', ''Warm Springs'', and ''Dead Again''; [[LargeHam somewhat less so]] in ''Film/WildWildWest''.
* [[LargeHam/{{Film}} Large Ham]]
* NiceHat: His Olympic Games role.
* ProductionPosse: Branagh's posse includes Creator/BrianBlessed, Richard Briers, DerekJacobi, Jimmy Yuill and (while they were married) EmmaThompson, as well as composer Patrick Doyle.
* PromotedFanboy: Branagh, reportedly, is a big-time ''{{Thor}}'' geek, and has been since childhood. One suspects his ear for Shakespeare was honed by the faux-Elizabethan dialogue of Marvel's Asgardians.
* RealLifeRelative:
** Branagh was married to EmmaThompson from 1989 to 1995. Count how many of his films feature her as his wife or love interest during that period. Interestingly, his one role in ''Film/HarryPotter'' (''Chamber of Secrets'') was right before her debut (''Prisoner of Azkaban'').
** He was also with Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter from 1995 to 1999 (they supposedly first got together when working on ''Frankenstein'' in 1994) and subsequently cast her as well.
* RaceLift: He casts actors so blindly of their race that one suspects it's a deliberate habit.
* WalkAndTalk: [[WebVideo/EchoChamber He did it first.]]
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Was rumored to be a front-runner to play a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels.
----
!!References to Kenneth Branagh in fiction:
* In ''Series/{{Blackadder}} Back and Forth'', a time-travelling Blackadder meets Creator/WilliamShakespeare and beats him up in retribution for providing the tools with which centuries of students have been tormented. He adds [[AndThisIsFor an extra blow specifically for]] "Ken Branagh's endless, uncut, four-hour version of ''Hamlet''".
-->'''Shakespeare:''' Who's Ken Branagh?\\
'''Blackadder:''' I'll tell him you said that. And ''I'' think he'll be very hurt.
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