While we hear about Dame Judi Dench all the time, it's not all that surprising to learn that Emma Thompson is also Dame. In keeping with her attitude towards her work, she continues to apply her talent without waiting to be showered by roses. Easily one of the best actors of her generation, her many accolades include Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and an Emmy or two. Who's really counting? It doesn't seem like she is.

Essentially Britain's answer to Meryl Streep, Thompson embodies a strength and vulnerability that makes her a bit of an enigma. This slow-burning unpredictability fuels her dramatic performances and keeps us guessing when it comes to comedy.

Thompson was born in London to actor parents and while studying at Cambridge became a member of the Footlights troupe alongside Hugh Lawrie, Stephen Fry and Robbie Coltrane. Collaborating with husband, actor and director Kenneth Branagh in what has been described as the "British cinematic onslaught" in the '90s, the two collaborated on such films as Henry V, Dead Again, Peter's Friends and Much Ado about Nothing.

In 1992 she achieved worldwide recognition by winning an Academy Award for her performance in Howards End, following this up with a dual nomination for The Remains of the Day and In the Name of the Father. One of a handful of actors to manage this feat, she is the only person in history to win Academy Awards for both acting and writing, thanks to her screenwriting work on Sense and Sensibility, one of the most popular and authentic adaptations of Jane Austen's novels directed by Ang Lee.

Thompson has developed a fine reputation for her dramatic performances, embodying an intelligent, observant, quiet and willful fortitude. Her earliest performances and accolades speak to her establishment as a serious actor, best known for Sense and Sensibility, Saving Mr. Banks, The Remains of the Day and Love Actually. However, she has a much lighter side to her canon of work as evidenced by roles as early as playing a goofy doctor opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito (a crucial part of an earlier adaptation of Matilda) in the concept comedy, Junior.

Moving away from leading roles to adopt more supporting performances in the late '90s, Thompson lent her voice to Treasure Planet before slowly reintegrating herself into Hollywood. Playing opposite Alan Rickman once again in Love Actually, the heartwarming Richard Curtis Christmas classic continues to remind us of her tremendous acting abilities with a heart-wrenching and deeply moving turn.

After relaunching her career, Thompson turned to the world of fantasy with a recurring role in Harry Potter as Prof Sybil Trelawney and as Nanny McPhee in the family comedy based on the Nurse Matilda books by Christianna Brand. As screenwriter, she was able to craft an anti-Mary Poppins, playing a governess who uses magic instead of a spoonful of sugar possibly inspired by echoes of that "Scary Mary" retrailer.

Playing supporting roles in the odd drama, Thompson's acting career leaned into fantasy with the Men in Black series, Stranger Than Fiction, Brave, Beautiful Creatures, Dolittle, Cruella, Beauty and the Beast and now set to play Miss Trunchbull in Matilda.

Often playing doctors and glorified cameos, even serving as a narrator from time to time, her varied career has a humility to it, bowing to the work and able to act in almost any capacity without tripping over her own ego. This counterpoint made her performance as Catherine Newbury in Late Night a delightful antithesis and inside joke. While tending towards the periphery in an attempt to downplay her stature, it's still an absolute pleasure to see her take up more screen time including roles in films such as The Children Act, Saving Mr. Banks and even Last Chance Harvey.

Prone to self-deprecation and maintaining that trademark mix of vulnerability and strength, she had the audacity to essentially dress like a parrot for her appearance on the Graham Norton Show. A real statement and spoof, trying to connect her outfit with her role as Poly in the subpar Robert Downey Jr. family-friendly adventure Dolittle, her seesawing between drama and comedy over the years means that people have lost their read on the great actor.

The beloved Roald Dahl book turned stage show 'Matilda' featured an iconic and militant headmistress in Miss Trunchbull. Creating an imposing villain, Dahl spared little mercy in crafting a nightmarish mountain of a woman to cast a long shadow and menacing atmosphere at Matilda's school. An audacious move, Emma Thompson has been cast to play this role, which will give her another opportunity to immerse herself in the world of fantasy. Early images have drawn some controversy over the use of a "fat suit", which enhances her character's intimidation factor and scale.

While Thompson has led a well-respected, illustrious and curious acting career, one thing's for sure, it's always a pleasure to see her perform whether chiming in with a brief uncredited surprise role as a doctor or leading from the front. Our deep respect for the actor may muddy the waters when it comes to seeing the lighter side of Emma Thompson but with time and enough poking fun at herself, there's no doubt that we will have a much fuller understanding of her paradoxical brilliance.