Emma Thompson | Source: Getty Images

Emma Thompson Says Donald Trump Once Asked Her Out on a Date

Aug 11, 2025 - 09:50 A.M.

The "Nanny McPhee" star revealed the encounter during a recent interview, saying she could have "changed the course of American history" had she given the president a chance.

Emma Thompson is reflecting on what might have been. The decorated actress recently shared that the President of the United States (POTUS), Donald Trump, once asked her out on a date. Both she and the president had recently ended marriages at the time.

Emma Thompson meets fans during the 78th Locarno Film Festival on August 9, 2025, in Locarno, Switzerland. | Source: Getty Images

She spoke about the encounter during a Q&A session at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on Saturday, August 9. Thompson explained that she was in her trailer while filming the 1995 comedy-drama "Primary Colors" when the phone suddenly rang.

"It was Donald Trump," she recalled. "He said: 'Hello, this is Donald Trump.' I thought it was a joke and asked: 'How can I help you?' Maybe he needed directions from someone."

She continued: "Then he said: 'I'd love you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner.' I said: 'Well, that's very sweet. Thank you so much. I'll get back to you.'"

Donald Trump circa 1997. | Source: Getty Images

Thompson later wondered why Trump had contacted her. "I realised that on that day, my divorce decree had come through," she said. "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."

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"And he found the number in my trailer. I mean, that's stalking," she joked. Around this time, Trump had just separated from his second wife, Marla Maples. Thompson had also finalized her divorce from her husband, Kenneth Branagh.

"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 said. Instead, she had already found love with Greg Wise, and the pair have been married since 2003.

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