Kenneth Branagh At 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Was Branagh Dressed As Abe Lincoln?
International Business Times, 27 July 2012 Sir Kenneth Branagh dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the 2012 Olympics in London and read Caliban's speech from "The Tempest," but Americans who are unfamiliar with Isambard Kingdom Brunel got him confused with one of the most famous of U.S. presidents, Abraham Lincoln. The famed actor Sir Kenneth Branagh is best known for playing Shakespearean characters and for playing Gilderoy Lockhart in the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." On Friday, he played a new role at the London Summer Olympics. Branagh clenched a book and spoke to others dressed in similar garb on a rural set that was thought up by award-winning movie director Danny Boyle. American Twitter users who are clearly unfamiliar with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the man who was responsible for England's Industrial Revolution, thought Branagh was dressed as "Abe Lincoln."
Americans also took to Twitter to sort out their confusion when "God Save The Queen" was played, considering it is to the same tune as "My Country, 'Tis Of Thee." Unsure whether this was a joke, but some Americans tweeted posts similar to that of @theisb, who wrote, "I don't want to embarrass my British pals, but you guys are getting like every single word of "My Country 'Tis Of Thee" wrong."
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