Julie Walters' Mother Made Her Feel 'Inadequate'

5 June 2015

Julie Walters' mum made her feel "inadequate".

Julie Walters

The 'Educating Rita' actress has confessed pressure from her pushy mother Mary while growing up meant she has spent her whole life questioning her self-worth.

She said: "There's definitely that need for love and approval. There are moments when I think, 'I'm not good enough.' It's always there. The three or 10 year old in you can come to the surface. I was a frightened little person in many ways."

The five-time BAFTA winner originally trained to be a nurse but quit her course after 18 months to study English and drama, much to the disappointment of her furious Irish Catholic mum.

Julie explained: "I did challenge her. I said, 'Why were we never good enough?' And she said, 'I wanted you to be competitive,' And I said: 'Well, we just felt inadequate'. She just felt that she wasn't good enough - she was an immigrant."

Nevertheless, the 65-year-old star has had a successful career on stage and screen spanning almost 40 years, although it hasn't all been plain sailing as she revealed filming scenes as dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson in 'Billy Elliot' was particularly tough due to the menopause.

She explained: "I was hot flushing constantly. The steps were so fast and the choreographer didn't smile once. I only did one sequence all the way through."

And the mother-of-one admitted her years of experience hasn't dampened her nerves when it comes to risqué scenes, confessing she got drunk with Dame Helen Mirren the evening before they shot nude scenes in 2003's 'Calendar Girls' because they were so anxious.

Talking to Richard E. Grant in a one-on-one chat to be broadcast on BBC Four on Sunday (07.06.15), she said: "Everybody was scared stiff. So Helen Mirren brought champagne in and we all got plastered the night before."