Emma Thompson Says Donald Trump Once Called Her After “Stalking” Her Trailer

Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson has revealed a bizarre and unexpected encounter with Donald Trump from the late 1990s, jokingly suggesting he once "stalked" her trailer to get her phone number and asked her out.

Speaking at the 78th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, where she premiered her new film The Dead of Winter and received the prestigious Leopard Club Award, Thompson shared the story during a candid Q&A session titled “Conversation with Emma Thompson.”

Reflecting on her career, the Love Actually and Harry Potter star recounted an unusual moment from the set of Mike Nichols’ 1998 film Primary Colors.

“I was in my trailer one day while we were filming, and the phone rang,” Thompson recalled in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “No one had ever called that number before, so I picked up and said, ‘Hello?’ Then a voice said, ‘Hi, this is Donald Trump.’ I thought it was a joke.”

Trying to be polite, Thompson responded, “How can I help you?” thinking maybe he needed directions. Instead, Trump made an unexpected offer: “I'd love you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner.”

Caught off guard, Thompson replied, “Well, that’s very sweet. Thank you so much. I’ll get back to you.”

The actress later figured out how Trump likely got her number — and why he chose to call. She revealed that the day of the call happened to be the same day her divorce from actor Kenneth Branagh was finalized.

“I realised that on that day, my divorce decree had come through. And I bet he’s got people looking for eligible women — you know, a nice divorcee. That’s what he was after,” she said, adding, “He got my number from the trailer. That’s stalking.”

Poking fun at the strange exchange, Thompson laughed, “I could have gone on a date with Donald Trump, and then I’d really have a story to tell. Who knows — maybe I could’ve changed the course of American history!”

Thompson and Kenneth Branagh were married from 1989 to 1995. She later married actor Greg Wise in 2003. At the time of the phone call, Trump had recently divorced his second wife, Marla Maples, and would go on to marry Melania Trump in 2005.