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Emma Thompson Lifts The Lid On Trump’s Surprise Invitation: 'That's Stalking...'
Times of India - English / VideoElephant
Dame Emma Thompson has spoken about an unexpected phone call she received from Donald Trump during the late 1990s – a moment she jokingly suggested "could have changed the course of American history".
Speaking recently at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, the actress recalled the incident which took place in 1998 while she was filming the political comedy Primary Colors, loosely inspired by Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
Her trailer phone rang while she was on set. To her surprise, the voice on the other end introduced himself as Donald Trump.
“I thought it was a joke: ‘Hi, it’s Donald Trump here.’ I said: ‘How can I help you?’ I thought he needed directions. He said: ‘I would love for you to stay in one of my beautiful places, and maybe we could have dinner,’” Thompson recalled.
At the time, Thompson was in the midst of a divorce from her first husband, Kenneth Branagh.
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“I realised that on that very day my divorce has finally come through,” she said. “I bet he has people looking all over for suitable people he could take out, for all these nice divorcees – I mean, he found the number of my trailer! That’s stalking!
"So yes, I could have gone on a date with Donald Trump. I could have changed the course of American history!”
This isn't the first time Thompson has shared the story. In a 2017 interview with Swedish television host Fredrik Skavlan, she recalled feeling caught off guard by the call.
“I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was on my own and I just said: ‘OK, well I’ll get back to you! Thank you so much for ringing.’”
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