Just like it took me way too long to reconcile Emilia Clarke as both the formidable Daenerys Targaryen in "Game of Thrones" and the sweet Louisa Clarke in "Me Before You," it took until today for me to realize that Julie Walters was both Molly Weasley in all the "Harry Potter" films and Rosie Mulligan in the "Mamma Mia" musical adaptations.
And I'm floored!
Walters, who was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2017 during filming of "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again," can not only sing and dance as part of Donna and the Dynamos, but she can also handle her rag-tag brood and wield a hell of a wand against dark witches.
Perhaps I'm the only one who never made the connection, but for someone who's heavily invested in both of these franchises, I'm very disappointed in myself.
The Academy Award-nominated Walters made headlines today after her announcement that she had been diagnosed with, and subsequently cleared of, stage three bowel cancer. The 69-year-old actress told the BBC that she was in shock at first.
"I was still thinking, 'That's ridiculous, he must have made a mistake.' I couldn't believe it," Walters said.
Walters, who had to have scenes cut from her latest role in the upcoming "The Secret Garden" due to treatment, underwent chemotherapy and surgery sometime after her diagnosis 18 months ago that has cleared her of cancerous cells, and she explained that the ordeal has changed her outlook on the rigor of her career.
"The person before the operation is different to this person," she said. "I'm not saying I'll never act again, but I certainly don't think I can go back to [working] six days a week, 5 in the morning 'til 7 o'clock at night."
All is well, though, as the Dame stayed in high spirits during her procedures, sharing that she and her night nurse would watch "Love Island" together. Stars: They're just like us!
Safe to say that Walters embodies both of these noteworthy roles: There's no one more positive than Rosie, and there's no one stronger than Molly.
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