By Megan Riedlinger
4:52am PST, Dec 13, 2020
Dec. 13, 2020, marks 25 years since the release of "Sense and Sensibility." The period drama based on the famed 1811 Jane Austen novel starred Emma Thompson, who also adapted the screenplay, and Kate Winslet. In honor of the film's big anniversary, Wonderwall.com is checking in on its stars to find out what they're up to today. Keep reading for more…
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Emma Thompson penned the screenplay and starred as Elinor Dashwood in the 1995 movie version of the famous tale.
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"Sense and Sensibility" came one year after Emma Thompson's Hollywood debut in "Junior." Prior to that, she was making a name for herself in her native England. She followed up the period piece with 1997's "The Winter Guest" (which was "Sense and Sensibility" co-star Alan Rickman's directorial debut) and an episode of "Ellen," which earned her a Primetime Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series. She worked a lot less after welcoming a child in 1999 (more on that later!) but popped up in smash hits like 2003's "Love Actually," which again saw her working with Alan — this time as his on-screen wife. Beginning in 2004, she kicked off a run as Professor Sybill Trelawney in the "Harry Potter" movie franchise. 2012 saw her voice Queen Elinor in Disney's "Brave" and star as Agent O in "Men in Black 3." In 2016, she popped up in "Bridget Jones's Baby." More recently, Emma wrote, produced and starred in 2019's "Last Christmas" and voiced a character in 2020's "Dolittle." Next up for the star? Playing Baroness in Disney's "Cruella." Emma's six-year marriage to actor-director Kenneth Branagh ended in 1995 — the same year "Sense and Sensibility' hit theaters. She met Greg Wise on the set of the film and the two started a relationship. They welcomed a daughter, Gaia, in 1999, and wed in 2003. The family welcomed another child — a 16-year-old Rwandan orphan — into their family by informal adoption in 2003.
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Kate Winslet took on the role of Marianne Dashwood in "Sense and Sensibility."
Kate Winslet took home a Screen Actors Guild Award and a BAFTA Award for best supporting actress for her work in "Sense and Sensibility" and earned nominations at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. It helped make her a major name in Hollywood, and she followed it up with her biggest role yet two years later — Rose in 1997's "Titanic." That earned Kate her first best actress nomination at the Oscars. She racked up a whole list of noms over the years — 2001's "Iris" scored her an Oscar nod, as did "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" in 2004, "Finding Neverland" in 2004 and "Little Children" in 2006. She won her first Academy Award for her performance in 2008's "The Reader," picked up another nom for "Revolutionary Road" the following year and won her second Academy Award for her work in 2015's "Steve Jobs." She also made a splash on the small screen in 2011's "Mildred Pierce," which earned her a Primetime Emmy. Her next big role will be in "Avatar 2" in 2022. Kate married director Jim Threapleton in 1998; they welcomed daughter Mia in 2000 and split in 2001. She married filmmaker Sam Mendes in 2003 and welcomed son Joe with him that year, but they called it quits in 2010. She wed third husband Ned Rocknroll (who's since changed his name back to his birth moniker, Edward Abel Smith), in 2012. They had son Bear in 2013.
Alan Rickman played Colonel Brandon, an older gentleman who falls in love with the much younger Marianne Dashwood.
Alan Rickman already had an impressive career before signing on to "Sense and Sensibility." After the movie came out, he appeared as Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" franchise in the '00s and through to the final installment in 2011. He teamed up with co-star Emma Thompson again for 2003's "Love Actually" and voiced Absolem the Caterpillar in 2010's "Alice in Wonderland" and its 2016 sequel, which hit theaters after he passed away from pancreatic cancer. Alan was in a longtime partnership with British politician Rima Horton, whom he met in 1965, lived with from 1977 on and quietly wed in 2012.
Hugh Grant played Edward Ferrars, a handsome gentleman who finds love with Elinor Dashwood while he's secretly engaged to Lucy Steele.
Hugh Grant became a household name after his turn in "Sense and Sensibility" and solidified his leading-man status with 1999's "Notting Hill" and 2001's "Bridget Jones's Diary." He continued to steal hearts in 2002's "About a Boy" and 2003's "Love Actually" (alongside repeat co-stars Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman!). More recently, he's transitioned to the small screen, starring on the British series "A Very English Scandal," which earned him both Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, in 2018. In 2020, Hugh starred in the wildly popular HBO series "The Undoing." Off-screen, his personal life could be its own film — he had five children with two women over nine years (and at least one pregnancy overlapped). The longtime bachelor welcomed two children with ex Tinglan Hong and three with Swedish TV producer Anna Eberstein, whom he married in 2018.
Imogen Stubbs played Lucy Steele, the other woman in Edward Ferrars' life.
Imogen Stubbs mainly worked as a stage actor after 1995, though she occasionally popped up in films and on television. She had a role in 1996's "Twelfth Night," 2004's "Dead Cool" and 2018's "London Unplugged" and some smaller short films over the years. Aside from acting, she worked at Reader's Digest as a contributing editor and writer beginning in 2008. She was previously married to Trevor Nunn, with whom she shares a son and daughter; they split in 2011.
Gemma Jones (right) played Elinor and Marianne's mother, Mrs. Dashwood.
Gemma Jones would team up again with co-star Hugh Grant a few years later for "Bridget Jones's Diary." She then shared the screen with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson when she played Madam Poppy Pomfrey in the "Harry Potter" film franchise. More recently, she reprised her role as Bridget's mom in "Bridget Jones's Baby" in 2016 and appeared in 2019's "Rocketman" and 2020's "Ammonite." Gemma, who's never wed, has a son from a long-term relationship.
James Fleet played John Dashwood, the late Mr. Dashwood's oldest son from another marriage. He inherits everything from his father but doesn't adhere to his dad's dying wish — that he take care of Mrs. Dashwood and his sisters.
James Fleet followed up "Sense and Sensibility" with 1995's "The Butterfly Effect" and TV movies like "The Cows" in 1997 and "The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything" in 1999. He landed the role of Lefevre in 2004's "Phantom of the Opera" and in 2016 popped up in "Love and Friendship." He also starred on the sitcom "Brotherly Love" in 1999, and later on "Coronation Street" in 2010 and the BBC's "Death Comes to Pemberley" in 2013. The British actor is happily married to Jane Booker, with whom he shares a son.
Harriet Walter starred as Fanny Dashwood, John Dashwood's snobby wife who leaves the Dashwood women without a dime.
Harriet Walter is best known for her work on the stage. She starred as Lady Macbeth in 1999's "Macbeth" and snagged roles in shows like "Dinner" in 2002. She starred as Elizabeth I in "Mary Stuart" in 2005 (which won her an Evening Standard Award and, later, a Tony) and appeared in "Antony and Cleopatra" in 2006 and "The Tempest" in 2016, among others. She's also continued to occasionally work in film, most notably with roles in 2007's "Atonement," 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and 2019's "Rocketman." She's been married to actor Guy Paul since 2011.
John Willoughby was portrayed by Greg Wise. He's the man with whom Marianne falls in love, but he ultimately marries someone else.
Following "Sense and Sensibility," Greg Wise appeared in a handful of films including "Johnny English" in 2003, "Effie Gray" in 2013 and "A Private War" in 2018. He's also appeared on the small screen on shows like the BBC's "Cranford" in 2009, "Homefront" in 2012 and, more recently, on "The Crown" in 2016 as Lord Louis Mountbatten. He's married to "Sense and Sensibility" co-star Emma Thompson — whom he met on set! — and they share two kids.
Hugh Laurie took on the role of Mr. Palmer in "Sense And Sensibility."
Hugh Laurie followed up the period film with quite the opposite — Disney's "101 Dalmations" in 1996 and "Spice World" in 1997. From there, he also appeared in 1998's "The Man in the Iron Mask," 1999's "Stuart Little" and its 2002 sequel, 2015's "Tomorrowland" and 2018's "Holmes and Watson." But the Brit's most famous role in America was on TV: He was the titular character on FOX's "House" from 2004 to 2012. The performance earned him multiple Emmy nominations and two Golden Globes. More recently, he's starred on "The Night Manager," HBO's "Veep" (for which he scored his 10th Emmy nomination) and "Catch-22." He's been married to Jo Green, with whom he shares three kids, since 1989.
