Kenneth Branagh was knighted over the weekend, and now goes by the prestigious name Sir Kenneth Branagh. This came as a shock to me as I had assumed he was born a knight. However, I suppose anybody that thrusts themselves into Shakespeare at such a young age and bring it to a mass audience has a ‘Sir’ quality to them.
Actor and director Branagh was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to drama in her birthday honours list. Branagh is best known for his adaptations of Shakespeare’s work. He’s been nominated for five Academy Awards over the last 22 years. In 1990 he was nominated for Best Actor and Best Director for his adaptation of HENRY V (1989). This year he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for playing one of his idols, and a fellow knight also known for his Shakespearean work, Sir Laurence Olivier, in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. Branagh announced that ‘My heart’s fit to burst’. Kate Winslet was also honoured, she received a CBE for her contributions to the arts. Branagh and Winslet worked together on Branagh’s 1996 adaptation of HAMLET.
This knighthood will come in handy for his latest directorial outing, as he is taking charge of the new Jack Ryan movie, a character that received an honourary knighthood. Chris Pine will take on the role of Jack Ryan, previously played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck.
The as of yet UNTITLED JACK RYAN PROJECT is currently in pre-production with no scheduled release date.
Source: Deadline
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