Throughout her long career, Julie Walters has consistently captivated audiences with her performances. It’s no wonder that in the UK, the brilliant actress is considered a national treasure. Even her earliest comedy sketches on television became legendary. She gained international recognition in the 1980s with the film “Educating Rita,” and a new wave of popularity came with the movie musical “Mamma Mia!”. Generation Z knows her best for her role as the pure-blood witch Molly Weasley, mother of the red-headed twins in the Harry Potter series. In 2017, for her services to drama, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Julie Walters a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Read on at birmingham-trend.
Ancestry, Education, and Choosing a Profession
Julie Mary Walters was born in 1950 in the prestigious Edgbaston area of Birmingham. Through research into her family tree on the television show “Who Do You Think You Are?”, she discovered her roots trace back to County Mayo in Western Ireland. Her great-grandfather was a member of the Land League, which fought for the rights of the poor, and an earlier relative was an active participant in the 19th-century Irish Land War. Her paternal grandfather was a veteran of the Second Boer War and was killed in France during the First World War.
Julie’s mother was a hospital clerk, and her father was a builder and decorator. They were devout Catholics and raised their children in the faith. Initially, she was sent to St. Paul’s School for Girls in Edgbaston, and later attended Holly Lodge Grammar School, where she gained a reputation for being a bit of a rebel. In the sixth form, she was even asked to leave. Julie later recalled that when she moved to a more mainstream school, it felt like paradise. At 15, she decided school wasn’t for her and went to work for an insurance company. At 18, she began training as a nurse. After spending eighteen months at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Julie Walters decided to pursue a career in acting.
First Steps to Acting Success
She found her studies in English and Drama at Manchester Polytechnic came easily. After a few years, Walters joined an acting troupe in Liverpool and also trained with a stand-up comedian. For a time, she worked with the improvisational theatre-studio “Vanload,” making her London stage debut with them in the comedy “Funny Peculiar.” Throughout 1975, the actress performed her own comedy routines in cabaret. While studying in Manchester, Julie befriended the aspiring writer and comedian Victoria Wood. Together, they created several sketch shows that caught the attention of television channels, and in 1981, the pair starred in their own show, “Wood and Walters.” In 1980, Julie had her major breakthrough in the stage production of “Educating Rita.”
She played a hairdresser who decides to improve her social standing by enrolling at a university. The role soon earned her several awards from theatre critics. The play became so popular that a film version was commissioned, with Walters invited to reprise her leading role.
The film was a critical success, and at 33 years old, Julie gained worldwide fame. She won some of the most prestigious film awards, including a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, as well as her first Oscar nomination.
A Storied Career and a Battle with Cancer
In 1984, Julie reunited with Victoria Wood for their television sketch show, all while continuing to act in theatre and film. She impressed audiences not only with her comedic talent but also with her deeply dramatic roles. In the film “Personal Services,” Walters played a waitress who becomes a brothel madam. In the comedy-drama “Buster,” she starred opposite musician Phil Collins, giving a stunning performance as the unassuming wife from a small town. In “Killing Dad,” the public was captivated by her portrayal of an alcoholic mother pursuing men. She also won critical acclaim for her convincing role as the mother in “Prick Up Your Ears,” where, at just 37, Walters masterfully portrayed a woman of a much more mature age. In 2000, for her portrayal of Kate Keller in the play “All My Sons,” Walters won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award. Her second Oscar nomination came for her role as the dance teacher Sandra Wilkinson in the drama “Billy Elliot.” From 2001 to 2011, Julie was a key part of the famous Harry Potter franchise, and also starred in both “Mamma Mia!” films, the “Paddington” movies, and “The Secret Garden,” among others.
In 2020, the film star was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer. She underwent surgery and a course of chemotherapy and thankfully beat the disease. In interviews, Julie has spoken about the shock of hearing the results of her CT scan. She recalled how she focused on her surgeon’s positive words: “We can fix this.” She also remembered the obsessive thought that she might not wake up from the anaesthetic. During her treatment, she had to pause filming on “The Secret Garden” and miss the premiere of “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” Her absence from the premiere drew media attention, and her agent publicly stated that Walters had a ruptured hernia. The truth was only revealed after her recovery. Julie has since become a public advocate for awareness, urging people not to ignore early symptoms and to visit their doctors regularly. She has joined campaigns to spread information about malignant diseases, hoping to help save lives.
Julie Walters has now retired from acting. She and her husband have moved to a country house where the couple runs an organic farm. The films featuring Julie Walters, however, continue to be watched and loved by audiences everywhere.
