Books and Wands - Biography

Vital Stats:

Julie Walters

Full Name:

Julia Mary Walters

Nickname:

Julie

Date of Birth:

ebruary 1950

Place of Birth:

methwick, West Midlands

, England

Siblings:

;

Walters is the youngest and only girl born to Mary Bridget O’Brien
and Thomas Walters. When she was younger, her mother was very
strict with her and expected Julie to follow in the path she, her
mother, had chosen for her. For little Julie, that meant a strict
Irish-Catholic education and the eventual study and practice of
nursing. For awhile that path worked, Walters studied nursing at
Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Walters soon realized that was not the right course for her and
gave up nursing to study Drama and English at Manchester
Polytechnic. Performance proved to be in her blood and she pursued
a career in it, first joining a local improv group.

Perhaps best known to Brit audiences for her comedic roles,
Walters met another comic, Victoria Wood, and together produced
many shows and sketches eventually landing their own show, Wood
and Walters.

Having played the stages as both a stand-up comic and a sketch
comedy actress, Walters was well prepared for her London stage
debut in Educating Rita, a role that would prove fateful. She won
many awards and nominations for her work in the stage play and
when it was later adapted into a film, she stared opposite Michael
Caine in the title role she originated on London’s West End. This
role vaulted her into world renowned fame and recognition, scoring
an Academy Award nomination, and Golden Globe and BAFTA Award wins.

In a career that has lasted from the late 1970s until the present,
she has had great success in every venue of performing: theater,
film and TV. She can also sing, but sadly hasn’t had much
opportunity to show off her voice. Her two high profile musical
roles have been in Acorn Antiquities: The Musical! reprising one
of her biggest fan-favorite roles with Victoria Wood (and was
nominated for an Olivier Award for it) and more recently in the
ABBA inspired musical hit, Mamma Mia!

The multi-talented Walters has not only mastered her art, but
she’s also an accomplished author, having written her
autobiography: Julie Walters: Seriously Funny (2003) and, inspired
by her daughter Maisie, Baby Talk (1990), and in 2006 her first
fiction work, Maggie’s Tree.

Many of her roles have endeared her to audiences everywhere, and
many love her work in Educating Rita, as Rita - the inexperienced
hairdresser who seeks to better her life through education, or the
brash and abrasive but encouraging Mrs. Wilkinson in Billy Elliot
for which she was nominated for and won many awards. But perhaps
she is best known for her maternal and charmingly engaging
portrayal of Mrs. Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter films.

Walters is married to husband, Grant Roffey, since 1997, though
the couple had been together for over a decade before the
nuptials. They have one daughter, Maisie Mae Roffey, who was born
in 1988. Maisie was diagnosed with leukemia at a very early age,
but she has beaten the disease. The family lives on their organic
farm in Sussex, England.

For her contributions to drama, she has been elevated to the rank
of Commander of the Order of the British Empire and her old home
town is scheduled to induct her into their Walk of Stars in 2009.
From her experiences in life and her long and successful acting
career, she has these words of wisdom to share with her audiences:
“Self-worth is everything. Without it life is a misery.”

Biography:

Honors and Awards:

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