Emma Thompson Talks ‘Dead Of Winter’ And Finding Better Roles At 66

Emma Thompson in “Dead of Winter”

Vertical Entertainment

Dame Emma Thompson remains one of the most versatile actors of our time – from playing Elinor Dashwood in 1995’s Sense and Sensibility and a loyal wife that is cheated on in 2003’s Love Actually, to portraying real life Mary Poppins writer P.L. Travers in 2013’s Saving Mr. Banks and the viciously fabulous Baroness in 2021’s Cruella.

With her latest cinematic role in Vertical Entertainment’s Dead of Winter, which arrives in select theaters this Friday, Thompson, 66, plays Barb, a recent widow traveling through a Minnesota snowstorm, who comes across a violent abduction and decides to take matters into her own good-natured hands.

Sitting down with the London-born actor for a conversation about her new film and her celebrated career, I first brought up with Thompson that yes – Dead of Winter is a great thriller, but realizing that this story is ultimately a love story about a lifetime of love until the very end between Barb and her late husband, Karl. So, what was it about this story and filmmaking opportunity that initially inspired Thompson to want to put her time and energy towards this specific project?

Thompson said, “Because it was something I had never even thought of doing. I’m so glad to hear you say that it’s a love story because that is exactly what it is. It becomes a thriller of a kind in the middle, sort of, and then it returns to the love story at the end in a way. It’s also about grief and letting go, and to a certain extent, a kind of willing sacrifice and all of those things. The script – which was written by two wonderful Minnesotan writers [Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb] have taken a lot of that personality and indeed some even of the story from real life. The story [that my character] tells about the 1888 snowstorm in America is a true story. One of the writer’s grandfather survived that storm by being – just staying with his axe, as they call them. Your axe and your sack of grain. And so, I just thought the writing when I read the script was so unexpected and surprising. Every time [Barb] did something else, I thought I was taken by surprise. That’s why I loved it – it was completely original.”

Co-starring alongside fellow seasoned actor Judy Greer in Dead of Winter, Thompson is also an executive producer on this film. So, I wondered what it means to her to have projects like this where she gets to lend her voice, both behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera.

“It just means that you’re sort of more knitted into the whole process,” Thompson said. “So I went out, for instance, a month in advance to Finland, where we all had to get used to the temperatures. So, it was very nice to be with the crew, watching the cabin being built – working with the costume designer to create a costume that would survive [the cold] and would also survive being pulled underwater. It was great to spend time there with the crew, gearing up for what we were all going have to kind of endure, you know? It was not an easy shoot, but it was a very close-knit one.”

Being a longtime fixture in Hollywood and across the global entertainment scene for several decades now, I was curious what Thompson is perhaps enjoying more about her career today than in years past.

Thompson said, “I feel really lucky because I feel like since I hit my sixties, I’ve done some of the most interesting parts I’ve ever done. There was a really boring bit in my forties where everyone wanted me to play people’s wives, doing things like – Hey, don’t go do the brave thing. Stay here with me and the kids. There were an awful lot of films like that 20 years ago – they were just not good parts. So now, I seem to be moving into a patch where they’re getting very interesting again, which is encouraging, I think for all of us coming into this area of life – the sort of ‘Third Age.’ Whilst I wouldn’t entirely recommend starting your action career at the age of 66 – it’s a bit stupid, really, and reckless – I still have enjoyed every minute of it. I really have. This movie was just a joy to make.”

Concluding my conversation with Thompson, I left her with my original and signature interview question, wondering what she would say to her Dead of Winter character Barb, if only she could, after embodying her elaborate journey and her many obstacles throughout this film.

Thompson said with Barb in mind, “You’re doing the right thing. You’re doing the right thing. Karl would be proud.”