Julie Walters facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Julie Walters DBE
Walters in 2014
Born	Julia Mary Walters (1950-02-22) 22 February 1950 (age 75) Birmingham, England
Alma mater	Manchester School of Theatre
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1972–present
Spouse(s)	Grant Roffey ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	1

Dame Julia Mary Walters (born on February 22, 1950), known as Julie Walters, is a famous English actress. She has won many important awards for her acting. These include four British Academy Television Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. She also has two International Emmy Awards and an Olivier Award.

Julie Walters has been nominated for two Academy Awards, which are also known as the Oscars. She was honored with the BAFTA Fellowship in 2014. This award celebrates a lifetime of amazing work in film and television. In 2017, Queen Elizabeth II made her a Dame. This is a special title given for great contributions to drama.

Walters became very well-known for her main role in the film Educating Rita (1983). She first played this role in a play in London's West End theatre. She has acted in many other popular movies. These include Billy Elliot (2000) and seven of the eight Harry Potter films (2001–2011). She also appeared in Calendar Girls (2003) and Mamma Mia! (2008). She was in its sequel in 2018. More recently, she played Mrs. Bird in Paddington (2014) and its sequels in 2017 and 2024. She also appeared in Mary Poppins Returns (2018). For her stage work, she won an Olivier Award in 2001 for the play All My Sons.

On television, Julie Walters often worked with comedian Victoria Wood. They created shows like Wood and Walters (1981) and Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985–1987). She has won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress four times. This is more than any other actress. She won for her roles in My Beautiful Son (2001), Murder (2002), The Canterbury Tales (2003), and Mo (2010). She is also the only actress to win the International Emmy Award for Best Actress twice. This was for her roles in A Short Stay in Switzerland (2009) and Mo (2010).

Early Life and Training

Julia Mary Walters was born on February 22, 1950. She was born in Birmingham, England. Her mother, Mary Bridget, was a postal worker from Ireland. Her father, Thomas Walters, was a builder and decorator. Julie was the youngest of five children.

She went to St Paul's School for Girls and later Holly Lodge Grammar School for Girls. She once said that going to a regular grammar school felt like "heaven." However, she was asked to leave because of her "high jinks," meaning she was a bit mischievous.

Julie Walters thought about becoming a teacher or a nurse. At 18, she started training as a student nurse. She worked in different hospital wards for 18 months. But she decided that nursing wasn't for her.

She then chose to study acting. She went to the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre. After her training, she worked with the Everyman Theatre Company in Liverpool. She worked alongside other famous actors and writers there.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1970s and 1980s

Julie Walters first became known for working with comedian Victoria Wood. They met in 1971. Their first TV show together was Wood and Walters in 1981. They often performed together. Julie Walters played Mrs Overall in Victoria Wood's funny soap opera, Acorn Antiques. This role became very popular.

Her first serious acting role on TV was in Boys from the Blackstuff in 1982. She became nationally famous when she starred with Michael Caine in Educating Rita (1983). She played Susan "Rita" White, a hairdresser who wants to learn more by taking an English literature course. For this role, she won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

In 1985, she played Pauline, Adrian Mole's mother, in the TV show The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. She also starred in the film Buster (1988) with Phil Collins.

TV Shows and Films in the 1990s

In 1991, Julie Walters starred with Liza Minnelli in Stepping Out. She also had her own TV special called Julie Walters and Friends.

In 1993, she was in the TV film Wide-Eyed and Legless. This film was based on a true story about a man whose wife had a mysterious illness. From 1998 to 2000, she played Petula Gordeno in Victoria Wood's BBC comedy show dinnerladies.

Becoming a Star: 2000s and Beyond

Walters' star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars

In 2001, Julie Walters won an Laurence Olivier Award for her role in All My Sons. She received her second Oscar nomination for her role as a ballet teacher in Billy Elliot (2000). She also won a BAFTA for this role. In 2002, she won another British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for My Beautiful Son.

Julie Walters played Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). Molly Weasley is the loving mother of the Weasley family. She was in all the Harry Potter films except Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In 2003, the BBC said her portrayal of Molly was the "second-best screen mother."

In 2003, Walters starred in Calendar Girls with Helen Mirren. She played Annie Clark, a widow who helps create a charity calendar. In 2005, she played another inspiring real-life person, Marie Stubbs, in the drama Ahead of the Class.

In 2006, she starred in Driving Lessons with Rupert Grint, who played her son Ron in Harry Potter. She also had a main role in the BBC's The Ruby in the Smoke.

In 2006, Julie Walters published her first novel, Maggie's Tree. In June 2008, she appeared in the film version of Mamma Mia!, playing Rosie Mulligan. This was her second big musical role. In the same year, she released her autobiography, That's Another Story.

In 2007, Walters played the mother of author Jane Austen in Becoming Jane. In 2009, she received a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars in her hometown. She said she was very honored by this.

Recent Work: 2010s and 2020s

Walters at the premiere of Paddington in 2014

In 2010, Walters played the politician Mo Mowlam in the drama Mo. Critics highly praised her performance. In 2012, she voiced the Witch in Pixar's animated film Brave.

In 2014, Walters played Mrs. Bird, the kind housekeeper, in the popular film Paddington. She returned for the sequel, Paddington 2 (2017), and is expected to be in Paddington in Peru (2024). For the first Paddington film, she designed a special "Primrose"-themed Paddington Bear statue. This statue was part of an event to raise money for a children's charity.

In 2015, she appeared in the romantic drama film Brooklyn. This film was nominated for an Oscar. Her role in the film earned her a nomination for a BAFTA Award. In 2018, she played Ellen, the housekeeper, in Mary Poppins Returns.

In 2020, Walters starred with Colin Firth in The Secret Garden. She also narrated the ITV documentary For the Love of Britain. In 2021, she voiced Granny in the animated short film The Abominable Snow Baby. In May 2022, she narrated the BBC documentary The Queen: 70 Glorious Years. This documentary looked at the Queen's life during her seventieth year on the British throne.

Personal Life

Julie Walters is married to Grant Roffey. They met in 1985. They have one daughter named Maisie Mae Roffey, who was born in 1988. The couple got married in New York City in 1997. They live on an organic farm.

Walters supports the charity Women's Aid, which helps survivors of domestic violence. She is also a lifelong fan of West Bromwich Albion Football Club.

Health Update

In 2018, Julie Walters was diagnosed with bowel cancer. She had surgery and chemotherapy and is now in remission. Because of her health, she had to miss some scenes in The Secret Garden and the premiere of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. She shared her health news publicly in February 2020. At that time, she said she would take a break from big acting roles. However, she later said she would make exceptions for roles she truly loved, like a possible Mamma Mia 3!. In March 2023, she withdrew from a new Channel 4 drama called Truelove due to health reasons.

Filmography

Films

Television Shows

Awards and Honors

Julie Walters has received many awards for her acting. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999. In 2008, she became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). And in 2017, she was given the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). These honors are for her great contributions to drama.

Academy Awards (Oscars)

BAFTA Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Laurence Olivier Awards

Images for kids

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  Performing in The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog

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  Walters' Paddington Bear designed "Primrose" themed statue in Primrose Hill, London. It was auctioned to raise funds for the NSPCC.

See also

In Spanish: Julie Walters para niños