Fans of No. 1 Christmas movie Love Actually were stunned to discover that star Emma Thompson has a famous soap actress for a sister.
Emma plays Karen in the holiday film and stars in one of the film’s saddest subplots when she realizes that her husband Harry, played by the late Alan Rickman, is having an affair.
However, the actress also has a famous Olivier Award-winning sister, best known for her role in EastEnders.
Sophie Thompson, who bears a striking physical resemblance to Emma, played Stella Crawford in the BBC soap from 2006 to 2007.
Her character was Phil Mitchell’s villainous fiancée, where she became embroiled in some dark stories, including the secret abuse of Phil’s son, Ben.
Stella met her dramatic end on her wedding day to Phil after the truth about how she had been abusing Ben was revealed.
Love Actually fans were stunned after discovering Emma Thompson’s famous soap star sister (Emma and pictured in 2016).
Emma plays Karen in the holiday film and stars in one of the film’s saddest subplots when she realizes that her husband Harry, played by the late Alan Rickman, is having an affair.
Stella then attempted to flee while being chased by Phil and, in a dramatic turn of events, Stella died after jumping off a roof.
EastEnders fans were stunned to discover the family links between Emma and Sophie when they took to a Facebook fan page to share their surprise.
They wrote: ‘I didn’t realize that Sophie (Stella) was Emma’s sister; ‘ ‘I didn’t know it either until the other day…’; ‘Well, I was older today when I found out they were sisters. Great actors.’;
‘By no means!’; ‘Sophie was in Harry Potter. I didn’t realize she was Emma Thompson’s sister.’; ‘Every day you learn something new! I didn’t know Emma and Sophie were sisters!’
And EastEnders isn’t the only soap Sophie has starred in after she also played quirky clairvoyant Rosemary in Coronation Street in 2018.
Talking about joining soap opera Weatherfield on On Good Morning Britain in 2018, Sophie confessed: “Soap is such an extraordinary thing, as you have to get on a bus that’s moving at high speed, so it’s such a strange feeling.”
Comparing the experience to merging into motorway traffic, he joked: “It’s like a curious union, and I always find it quite disconcerting to merge onto the motorway and that fusion in terms of work is also disconcerting, although everyone there is so welcoming, but it’s strange, There is no escape.
Sophie also has He starred in several romantic comedies, including Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Sophie Thompson, who bears a striking physical resemblance to Emma, played Stella Crawford in EastEnders from 2006 to 2007 (pictured).
Stella met her dramatic end on her wedding day to Phil after the truth about how she had been abusing Ben was revealed.
Sophie previously admitted that there is no rivalry between her and Emma for acting roles, saying: ‘People assume there is this rivalry, but there isn’t. I wouldn’t think of comparing myself to her, or her to me.’
EastEnders fans were stunned to discover the family links between Emma and Sophie when they took to a Facebook fan page to share their surprise.
Sophie has also starred in several romantic comedies, including Four Weddings and a Funeral (pictured with David Haig).
She played Mafalda Hopkirk in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One, and joined her sister in JK Rowling’s series where Emma played Professor Trelawney.
Sophie previously admitted there is no rivalry between her and Emma for acting roles, telling The Daily Mail: “People assume there is this rivalry, but there isn’t. “It wouldn’t occur to me to compare myself to her, or her to me.
In 2022, Sophie detailed her cozy life residing in a ‘penthouse in east London’, a far cry from her siblings’ trio’s homes.
She admitted that while Emma is used to wearing glamorous dresses on the red carpet, she prefers to pick up her clothes from charity shops.
She told Richard Eden of The Daily Mail: ‘(My house) is an attic in the East End of London and it’s full of colour.
‘I always tell my mates, ‘I’m in the bird’s nest,’ which is usually used to describe a bird’s nest.
‘I have to keep it tidy because it’s quite small. I used to live in a big, run-down house with a kitchen.
He added: ‘I spend my money mainly on cheese shops and charity shops. I buy my entire wardrobe from the charity shop.’