born April 15, 1959, London, Eng.
British actress and screenwriter.
After graduating from the University of Cambridge, she acted on stage and television and won acclaim in the miniseries Fortunes of War (1987). While married to Kenneth Branagh (1989–94), she appeared in several of his films, including Henry V (1989), Dead Again (1991), and Much Ado About Nothing (1993). She later starred in Howards End (1992, Academy Award), The Remains of the Day (1993), Sense and Sensibility (1995), for which she won an Academy Award for best screenplay, and Primary Colors (1998).