Sophie Thompson

The dark-haired younger sister of England's darling, Emma Thompson, Sophie Thompson has been turning in impressive supporting performances in films since the mid-1990s. The daughter of two stage veterans, Thompson began her professional career behind the footlights, specializing in Shakespeare, acting with such renowned companies as the Old Vic, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Kenneth Branagh's Renaissance Theatre Company. Among the plays in which she has appeared are "The Winter's Tale," "Much Ado About Nothing," "As You Like It" and "Hamlet." Thompson has also scored in non-Shakespearean plays and musicals, including Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls," "Bedtime Story," "Period of Adjustment" and "The Chalk Garden." Her 1994 performance in Alan Ayckbourn's "Wildest Dreams" earned her an Olivier Award nomination and she won the award in 1996 as the nervous fast-talking bride Amy in an acclaimed revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Company."