Emma Thompson claims she ‘could’ve changed the course of American history’ after jaw-dropping call from Trump

Emma Thompson has shared a surprising story from 1998 that she now jokingly believes could have changed the course of American history. At the time, she was in her trailer on the set of the political comedy-drama *Primary Colors* when her phone rang. On the other end of the line was Donald Trump—then a 51-year-old businessman—despite the two having never met. The call happened on the very same day her divorce from Kenneth Branagh was finalized.

Thompson, now 66, was speaking at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, where she was being honored with the Leopard Club Award for her celebrated career. She told the audience she initially thought the call was a prank and asked Trump how she could help him. Instead, he invited her to stay at one of his “beautiful places” and suggested they have dinner together. She politely thanked him and said she would get back to him, though she never did.

Looking back, Thompson speculated that Trump—who had recently separated from his second wife, Marla Maples—might have been looking for a glamorous divorcée to accompany him publicly. She playfully suggested that if she had accepted the invitation, she might have influenced his life path, saying, “I could have gone on a date with Donald Trump, and then I would have a story to tell. I could have changed the course of American history.”

Thompson even joked that the fact Trump somehow got her trailer number felt like “stalking.” While the dinner never happened, the actor’s story has now become one of those what-if moments that blends humor, personal history, and a hint of political fantasy.