Dame Emma Thompson, DBE (born 15 April, 1959) is a British actress, screenwriter, and comedian. In her youth, she was the first female member of Footlights Dramatic Club in Cambridge. Her first professional role was in the stage adaption of Not the Nine O'Clock News. In the 1980s she was cast in several TV series. Her role in Howards End in 1992 was a turning point in her career which got her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Later Emma starred in The Remains of the Day, Sense and Sensibility and Primary Colors, but made a decision to reduce her workload after becoming a mother in 1999.