Emma Thompson reveals she’s been subtly trying to put her daughter Gaia Wise, 22, off acting

Dame Emma Thompson has hilariously revealed she’s been subtly trying to put her daughter Gaia off acting.

The Love Actually star, 63, who shares the drama student, 22, with fellow thespian Greg Wise, 56, joked she’s been dropping hints that her offspring could ‘run a restaurant’ instead.

She told the Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential: ‘I keep saying, “I know you like acting, but, you know, perhaps running a restaurant can be as exciting.”‘

Emma added of the talented cook: ‘There’s something very theatrical about restaurants — when you get it right, you feel so happy and lucky to be in it.’ 

Despite other ideas from the Oscar winner, Gaia followed in her mother’s footsteps as she made her TV debut in the latest series of BBC drama Silent Witness.

With her sweet smile and cropped dark hair, Dame Emma’s daughter looked every inch the mini-me.

In the series Gaia plays university student Jo Reynolds whose mother, the controversial health secretary, is assassinated – sparking the interest of forensic pathologists.

Other ideas: The Love Actually star, 63, (left) joked she’s been dropping hints that her offspring (right) could ‘run a restaurant’ instead (pictured in 2021)

Earlier this year, Gaia revealed to the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden that she’s prepared to follow her mother’s example and disrobe on screen.

Dame Emma recently bared all in her latest film — Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.

Gaia said: ‘If it’s professionally prepared, and you’ve got the right kind of protection around you, then that’s absolutely fine.’

It comes after Gaia detailed her three-year battle with anorexia – and credited her parents for saving her life by staging an emergency intervention.

Career: Despite other ideas from the Oscar winner, Gaia followed in her mother’s footsteps as she made her TV debut in the latest series of BBC drama Silent Witness (pictured in July 2022)

The aspiring actress developed anorexia aged 16 which left her so thin she was unable to even sit on a chair without it being painful. She was later admitted to rehab in 2017.

She spoke out about her illness for the first time with The Sun on Sunday, saying ‘Anorexia makes you really good at gaslighting people, making it sound like they’re insane.

‘My ­parents would say, ‘Gaia, we heard you working out at 3am.’ And I’d say, ‘No you didn’t, it was just the house moving. I was asleep.”

Anorexia is a serious mental illness where a person restricts their food intake, which often causes them to be severely underweight. Many also exercise excessively.

Twins: Dame Emma ‘s daughter looked every inch the mini-me (Emma in TV comedy series There’s Nothing To Worry About in 1982 and Gaia in Silent Witness

Gaia spoke of how Greg, Emma, and her family, including brother Tindy, 36, and best friend gathered together for an intervention, with Gaia agreeing to a three-month rehab stint after Greg said: ‘I don’t know where my child is any more.’

Adding that it was a ‘kick in the teeth’ she added: ‘I had to listen to the ­people I loved most in the world who, at the time, I’d really forgotten about, tell me what I was doing.’

She said: ‘That’s when I said I’d go to rehab. I went on December 29, 2017, and stayed for three months. Since then I’ve had a lot of ­therapy — and I’ll always be grateful for that, because it saved my life.’

Support: The aspiring actress has also spoken out about her battle with anorexia which left her so thin she was unable to even sit on a chair (pictured in September 2021 with her parents)