Emma Throws Her Weight Around

I have serious Emmalove.

And not just a little Emmalove, either, but Emmalove in enormous quantities. Such Emmalove that I can barely think about, no less watch, Emma as Karen in Love Actually fiercely resisting crumbling as Joni Mitchell sings "Both Sides Now" without blubbing effusively.

So, yeah, I didn't exactly need another reason to love her, but that's the thing about a woman like Emma—she'll just keep giving you reasons, anyway: When her co-star in the upcoming remake of Brideshead Revisited, Hayley Atwell, was told by the producers to lose weight for the role, Emma was not pleased.

Says Atwell: "I went round to Emma's one night and she was getting very angry that I wasn't eating all the food she was giving me. I told her why and she hit the roof." The no-nonsense Thompson was so outraged that she called the producers the next day and threatened to resign from the film if they forced Atwell to lose weight. Faced with Thompson - a two-times Oscar winner - on the warpath, Miramax Films swiftly relented.

Oh, Emma. Swoon.

Kate Winslet, for whom I also have massive adoration, has often spoken of Emma having been an important mentor to her:

''She set an incredible example for me when I was very young,'' says Winslet. Thompson imparted two crucial notes of caution. '''As much as you might be tempted, you need to remember that it's very important not to work sometimes,''' remembers Winslet. ''And she also told me, 'If you ever lose weight, I will never f---ing talk to you again.'''

Maurinsky once said: "Tim Gunn should be given as a graduation gift to every high school senior, to help guide them through life. The world would be a better place." I'm going to go ahead and politely suggest to the universe that we should each get an Emma, too.



Emma of Arc.