Sir Kenneth Branagh reveals influence Belfast has had on his career

Sir Kenneth Branagh has described how trips to the cinema in 1960s Belfast helped to unlock an imagination which has produced some of the world's favourite films.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 -  

Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured before a press conference at Belfast City Hall ahead of becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press EyePress Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 -  

Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured before a press conference at Belfast City Hall ahead of becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 - Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured before a press conference at Belfast City Hall ahead of becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

The acclaimed actor and director came ‘home’ earlier this week to accept the honour of Freeman of the City.

During his visit he spoke about his distinguished career and how it was shaped by his formative years in Belfast.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sir Kenneth, who left the Province aged nine, grew up in the Tiger’s Bay area. His dad was a joiner and his mum worked in a chip shop.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 -  

Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured visiting HMS Caroline with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister before  becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press EyePress Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 -  

Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured visiting HMS Caroline with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister before  becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 - Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured visiting HMS Caroline with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister before becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

The 57-year-old said growing up as part of a large extended family with a passion for storytelling shaped him to become “celebratory about language and stories”.

Of the honour bestowed on him on Tuesday, he said: “Connected to this great honour, I felt a tremendous sense of freedom while I was here. I felt physically free in the city.

“Although it was a big city it had a village feel that you could never get lost. I felt safe. It felt like everyone knew each other. It encouraged me to be imaginative and open.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Having begun his professional acting career in Graham Reid’s acclaimed ‘Billy’ plays set in Belfast, Sir Kenneth revealed to the News Letter that the role of Billy had proved to be his first and last acting role as a character from Northern Ireland.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 -  

Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured at a celebration event in the Ulster Hall after he became a Freeman of the City . He is pictured with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister, Alderman Pat Convery, Alderman Brian Kingston and Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive of Belfast City Council.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press EyePress Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 -  

Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured at a celebration event in the Ulster Hall after he became a Freeman of the City . He is pictured with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister, Alderman Pat Convery, Alderman Brian Kingston and Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive of Belfast City Council.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 - Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured at a celebration event in the Ulster Hall after he became a Freeman of the City . He is pictured with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister, Alderman Pat Convery, Alderman Brian Kingston and Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive of Belfast City Council. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

He admitted he has struggled to find an Ulster-based story or character that can live up to the high standards set by Graham Reid’s Billy plays.

He said: “One of the things I was really struck by in doing [the Billy series of plays] was just how far it travelled.

“People liked the specific colour of it, the accents, the visuals [but] it was immaterial the fact it was set in Northern Ireland. This was about family situations and social problems.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I was spoilt by what a fine piece of work that was by Graham and was honoured to work with the late, great Jimmy Ellis.

Blank CaptionBlank Caption
Blank Caption

“Of course, being an Irish trilogy there were four plays,” he joked.

He said NI was proving to be a “strong example to the rest of the world” on how to set up the long-term infrastructure as a filming location.

He also commended those involved in film in the Province for their “grass roots” work educating children on the possible careers available.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At the City Hall press conference Lurgan College student Maja Ochojska, 17, a reporter with Into Film, asked Sir Kenneth how his childhood shaped his career in film.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 -  

Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured visiting HMS Caroline with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister before  becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press EyePress Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 -  

Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured visiting HMS Caroline with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister before  becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th January 2018 - Sir Kenneth Branagh is pictured visiting HMS Caroline with Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister before becoming a Freeman of the City of Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

He said: “We did things as a family and I remember great big wide screen experiences [in cinemas] here. As an artist you come back to the things that grabbed you as a child.

“What it did for me was allow me to discover that you can immerse yourself in a film. It was escapism in the best possible sense.

“It made me dream, made me imagine. For me, a film is about the unlocking of imagination.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I feel as though the last three or four movies which I’ve made – big Hollywood movies in a sense of scale, tone, big actors and all the rest of it – are what I started watching here.”

On becoming a Freeman of the City he said: “It’s very humbling and incredibly amazing to follow in the footsteps of so many extraordinary people including some very fine artists and particularly last year the nurses of Belfast.”

Related topics: