‘People think I’m a Dame already!’
Julie Walters on C4’s National Treasure, and why she doesn’t give a Dame!
You play the wife of a celebrity accused of abuse in National Treasure. Sounds like gritty stuff!
It is. When you see men like Robbie’s [Coltrane] character, Paul going into court with the wife on the arm, your eye immediately goes to her and wonders what is that woman going through? She’s supporting him. And Marie is a hugely interesting woman on top of that.
People wonder if the wife always knows in these cases, don’t they?
I think that’s true. Marie is fascinating because she knows Paul has been unfaithful throughout the marriage and tolerates it because her Catholic faith is so important, but when he’s accused of something much worse than infidelity that is a massive shock.
When you see the newspapers accusing someone, what do you think?
Did he or didn’t he? It’s awful when someone is wrongly accused but publishing it does bring out other victims if they have done in it and in the end the victims have to come first.
As a wife and mum yourself, are parts like this harrowing to play?
Yes, you do think, ‘What if?’ My heart goes out to Andrea, who plays my daughter.
What do you think of the calls to make you a Dame?
Oh I’ve been hearing this for years! I’ve got an OBE and a CBE and people tend to call me Dame anyway.
Victoria Wood’s passing was a shock. You must feel privileged to have worked with her.
Oh yes. All of that brilliant work and characters, what a legacy. ◆ National Treasure, Tuesdays, C4