Emma Thompson, the celebrated actress, believes she might have had an impact on American history if her phone conversation with Donald Trump had taken a different turn.
In 1998, while filming Primary Colors, a political drama-comedy about a presidential campaign, Thompson received an unexpected phone call in her trailer.
When she picked up the phone, she was greeted with: “Hello, this is Donald Trump.”
At that time, Trump was a 51-year-old businessman. The call came on the day her divorce from Kenneth Branagh was finalized, even though they had never met before.
The now 66-year-old actress shared this surprising anecdote while being honored for her career achievements at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on August 8.
Thompson was presented with the Leopard Club Award, adding to her collection of accolades which includes two Oscars, two Golden Globes, three Baftas, and a Primetime Emmy.
During the festival, she recounted her conversation with Trump to the audience.
“I thought it was a joke and asked, ‘How can I help you?’ Maybe he needed directions from someone,” she elaborated.
“Then he said: ‘I’d love you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner’.”
To which Thompson replied: “Well, that’s very sweet. Thank you so much. I’ll get back to you.”
This call happened after Trump had separated from his second wife, Maria Marples. The couple was married from 1993 until their divorce was finalized in 1999, and they have a daughter, Tiffany.
“I realized that on that day, my divorce decree had come through,” she shared at the film festival. “And I bet he’s got people looking for suitable people he could take out on his arm. You know, a nice divorcée, that’s what he was looking for.”
Thompson speculated that if she had taken Trump up on his offer, she might have influenced his path.
“I could have gone on a date with Donald Trump, and then I would have a story to tell. I could have changed the course of American history,” she mused.
She humorously added that Trump managed to find her number in her trailer, commenting, ‘I mean, that’s stalking’, as a joke.