Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical: Who does Emma Thompson play in Netflix's musical film?

Celebrated British actress Emma Thompson plays the wicked Miss Agatha Trunchbull in the musical comedy-drama Matilda the Musical.

Interestingly, the first choice for the role was British actor Ralph Fiennes, since the "dame" character has traditionally often been portrayed on stage by male actors. It was later announced in January 2021 that Emma Thompson would instead play the role of Trunchbull.

To portray the character accurately, Thompson had to go through heavy prosthetic procedures. Since the tyrannical Trunchbull was an ex-Olympic hammer thrower, she was built like a tank and heavy on the face. Special credits, therefore, go to the film's makeup department for turning the loveable Thompson into the menacing Trunchbull.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Matilda the Musical

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Emma Thompson spent three hours in the makeup chair each day to become the horrific school principal

Emma Thompson as Miss Agatha Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical (Image via Netflix)

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Thompson spoke about her role and the troubles she had to endure to get into character, stating:

"It's very existential. It's an out-of-body experience. That is freeing. I don't feel a desperate need to get away from myself or anything. But it is a form of release to be able to inhabit another soul in that way, [a way] that's very physical. When the physicality helps you to find who this person is, it's a great privilege."

The actress even appeared on TODAY and confessed that she thoroughly enjoyed being evil and Matilda's archnemesis in the film. The prosthetic team spent nearly three hours every day to turn her into a bully, and Thompson was highly appreciative of the art form. The actress, who has naturally blue eyes, went to great lengths for her role and had to wear brown contacts to look like the character accurately.

Agatha Trunchbull was the self-absorbed vile principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary School, who bullied her students and turned her school into a prison. Her narcissism pushed her to build a statue of herself on the school premises.

Trunchbull constantly monitored her students and staff through cameras while sitting in her cabin. One of the most iconic scenes in the movie is when she hammer-throws a child into oblivion. Matilda, however, finally gave her a taste of her own medicine in the end, making Trunchbull flee for her life. Her statue was toppled by the children, while Miss Jennifer Honey became the new principal of the school.

The 1996 version of Trunchbull was portrayed by Welsh actress Pam Ferris.

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Veteran actress Emma Thompson's career is nothing short of glorious

Dame Emma Thompson is considered to be one of the best actresses of her generation. She has received several accolades throughout her forty-year-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globes, a British Academy Television Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

The actress made her film debut in 1989 with Henry V, receiving critical acclaim for her performance. She is perhaps best known for her roles in Primary Colors, Love Actually, the Harry Potter series, Nanny McPhee, Stranger than Fiction, Last Chance Harvey, An Education, Men in Black 3, and Beauty and the Beast, among countless other films.

Thompson has also written three Peter Rabbit children's books and is married to Greg Wise, whom she met on the set of Sense and Sensibility in 1995. Their family resides in the West Hampstead district of London. She has two children, Grace and, their adopted son of Rwandan origin, Tindyebwa Agaba.

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Matilda the Musical is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide.