Kristin Scott Thomas, Emily Watson make the Queen’s New Year’s honors list

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I can’t remember ever covering the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list before, but I’m sure I’ve mentioned it in passing. For those non-Brits, the Queen and her government and her staffers compile an end-of-year list of honors ranging from knighthoods and dame-hoods to Orders of the British Empire (OBEs). The honors are given to people in all fields: medical, science, engineering, politics, economics, technology, charity, athletics and the arts. Usually people only really pay attention to the arts honors. The Queen’s Honors list this year has a distinct LACK of Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and every other British person in the news this year. Instead, the Queen decided to honor… Kristin Scott Thomas! And Emily Watson, who is amazing. And John Hurt!

Kristin Scott Thomas leads a host of film and television stars whose achievements are recognised in the New Year’s honours list. The actress, who shot to fame playing Hugh Grant’s best friend in Four Weddings and a Funeral, said she was “thrilled and astonished” to have been made a dame. Other prominent figures to be honoured from the acting world include John Hurt, who is knighted, Emily Watson and Meera Syal. James Corden and Sheridan Smith, who starred as siblings Smithy and Rudy in Gavin and Stacey are appointed OBEs while Joan Collins has been made a Dame of the British Empire on the overseas list for services to charity.

Scott Thomas, 54, may be seeking inspiration when she visits Buckingham Palace to receive her honour as she is set to play the Queen in an updated version of The Audience while Helen Mirren, its original star, takes the show to Broadway. The play, which opens in London in April, is inspired by the Queen’s private weekly meetings with the country’s prime ministers over her six-decade reign. It is the latest role for the Cornwall-born actress whose career has seen her honoured in both the UK and her adopted home of France, where she now lives.

She was made an OBE in 2003 and two years later was presented with the Legion of Honour in France in recognition of a career which has included roles in The English Patient, The Horse Whisperer and Nowhere Boy.

John Hurt, the 74-year-old son of a Derbyshire clergyman has enjoyed a distinguished career that has taken him from the lead role in The Elephant Man to a brief incarnation as The Doctor last year in BBC One’s Doctor Who. His knighthood pays homage to a career that has included two Oscar nominations and starring roles in Alien, Midnight Express, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Watson, a fellow Oscar nominee, said the news of her OBE left her “quietly smiling” to herself all day. The 47-year-old Londoner enjoyed instant success with her first major film role, Breaking The Waves but believes her real big break came when she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company years earlier.

[From The Telegraph]

Oh, Emily only got an OBE? Well, there’s still time for her to do more, obviously. My favorite Emily Watson performance is Hilary & Jackie. I LOVE THAT MOVIE. And it’s insane that Emily has never won an Oscar. As for now Dame Kristin Scott Thomas… well, I love her, even if she is a curmudgeon. She’s also lived in France for the better part of two decades, although she said this year that she was open to moving back to England full-time. So it’s good that she was made Dame Kristen.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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26 Responses to “Kristin Scott Thomas, Emily Watson make the Queen’s New Year’s honors list”

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  1. Greata says:

    John Hurt… THE BEST ACTOR ALIVE TODAY! Yeah I said it… THE BEST!

  2. Sixer says:

    Kaiser – MBE is the lowest level (Member of the Order…).

    Quite like the list this year. But I do wish they’d stop giving knighthoods to retiring civil servants.

  3. yennefer says:

    Kristin Scott Thomas is 54??? Unbelievable. I thought she’s ten years younger.

  4. icerose says:

    Yea for Emily Watson a brilliant actress who is not only true to her profession but who’s early life was not an easy one but she managed to rise above them.

  5. icerose says:

    Some other interesting awards
    Joan Collins has been made a dame as well as TV presenter Esther Rantzen and Mary Quant dress designer from the 60’s .

    Sheridan Smith becomes OBEs for services to drama which was a surprise as she is mainly known for her stage work??

  6. Charlie says:

    Kristin Scott Thomas is one of the most beautiful actresses I have ever seen.

  7. InvaderTak says:

    I want to see Jeremy Clarkson fan boy over the Kristen Scott Thomas news.

    Anyone else read the whole thing seeing Emma Watson instead of Emily ? I was really confused when it got to the part about her being 47.

  8. LAK says:

    Love KST.

    • zinjojo says:

      I love her too! Fiona from Four Weddings and a Funeral is my forever girl crush!!!

      Glad to hear that she’s working — I recall reading an interview a year or two ago in which she talked about the lack of roles for women over 40 and that she was not working much any longer.

      • RooToo says:

        I recently went to see KST in her latest movie, ‘My Old Lady’, so she’s still working. My Old Lady is a lovely, understated movie with a KST, (Dame) Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline.

  9. Maum says:

    I agree Emily Watson was fabulous as Jacqueline du Pre. I still can’t believe she lost the Oscar to Gwyneth Paltrow.

    I might be biased as I live near her and often see her with her gorgeous children in our local park.

    • Luca76 says:

      She’s so great and she had a hell of a run in the 90s between H & J ,Breaking the Waves, and So many other films she should have a boatload of Oscars.

  10. GingerCrunch says:

    KST in “The English Patient” for. ev. er.

  11. Kay V says:

    Fantastic, love them both. KST in Keeping Mum, fabulous!

  12. vauvert says:

    Well deserved John Hurt! His war Doctor brought tears to my eyes (and it was just a brief role) and my goodness, KST is absolutely brilliant. I watch anything she is in for the sheer joy of seeing her take on a character. Not sure why she’s a curmudgeon?? She lives quietly and privately and does outstanding work….

  13. icerose says:

    Mind you looking at who has turned them down is fascinating as well. Mark Rylance, Simon Russel Beale, Vanessa Redgrave ,BiiNighy, , David Bowie, George Harrison, John Lennon, John Cleese, Alan Rickman, Albert Finney, Peter O’toole, Julie Christie,Honor Blackman
    ,Paul Scolfield and Keith Richards

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declining_a_British_honour

    • Evie says:

      Actually, John Lennon along with the other three Beatles did accept his MBE award back in the 1960s. At the time, several of the established upper class Brits were affronted and returned their awards in protest of the Beatles receiving the honor. In the late 60s or early 70s John did telephone his Aunt Mimi who had the MBE at her home, asked her to send it to him and then returned it to Buckingham Palace. Aunt Mimi was later quoted as saying if she had known what John was going to do, she would not have mailed him the MBE 🙂

      • icerose says:

        yes he won as one of the Beatles and returned it later, I guess he was never offered another award although who refused went on to be offered dames/knighthoods and turn them down as well.
        George Harrison turned down an OBE in his own right not as part of the Beatles.

    • LadySlippers says:

      •icerose•

      Simon Russell Beale was sublime in The Deep Blue Sea.

      *sigh*

  14. icerose says:

    Just found out one of my dance drama year was given an MBE for her contribution to dance. She always was special.