Emma Thompson at Locarno Recalls Bizarre Encounter with Donald Trump and Speaks on the “Importance” of Harry Potter: “I Could Have Changed the Course of American History”

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, at the Locarno Film Festival, Emma Thompson shared memories from filming Harry Potter and recounted a strange encounter with Donald Trump, the 47th President of the United States.

Thompson, who received the festival’s honorary Leopard Award, recalled during a Q&A session that in 1998, while taking a break in her trailer during the filming of Primary Colors directed by Mike Nichols, she received an unexpected phone call.

“It was Donald Trump,” Thompson said with a smile. “He said, ‘Hi, this is Donald Trump.’ I thought it was a joke and asked, ‘How can I help you?’ I figured maybe he was looking for an address.”

The British Cruella actress continued: “Then he said, ‘I’d love for you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner together.’ I said, ‘That’s very kind of you, thank you very much. I’ll get back to you.’”

Thompson admitted she was initially taken aback by Trump’s voice and wondered how he had gotten her trailer’s number, but she quickly solved the mystery: “I realized that my divorce decree had come through that day, and I was certain he had people whose job it was to find suitable dates for him. A beautiful divorcée—that’s exactly the type he wanted. And he had tracked down my trailer number. That’s basically harassment by stalking.”

She added: “I could have gone on a date with Donald Trump and then had a story to tell. I could have changed the course of American history.”

Elsewhere in the session, she reflected on some of her films, including Love Actually, and confessed she was puzzled by the enduring popularity of a movie centered on a woman’s devotion to her unfaithful husband: “Not because I dislike the film—I love it very much—but it’s a strange film.”

Speaking about her Harry Potter experience, Thompson said: “It’s not really a major part of my artistic work, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to disrespect the Harry Potter fans, but you know, I was offered a role, I put on glasses and all that hair, did the scene, got paid very well, and went home.”

The Locarno Film Festival runs until August 16.