**Kenneth Branagh** (Belfast, 1960) is a British actor, director, and screenwriter, often referred to as the “new Olivier” for his mastery of the Shakespearean repertoire.

His film career took off with **Henry V** (1989), which he directed and starred in, earning him Oscar nominations.

His famous Shakespeare adaptations include **Much Ado About Nothing** (1993) and **Hamlet** (1996), the latter acclaimed for its fidelity to the original text.

He has juggled blockbusters such as **Thor** (2011) and more personal works such as **Belfast** (2021), for which he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. As an actor, he is known for his eclectic roles, from Gilderoy Lockhart in **Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets** to appearances in Nolan's films (**Dunkirk**, **Tenet**, **Oppenheimer**). Charismatic and multifaceted, he often plays authoritative and complex characters.