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Julie Walters Refuses To Strip for GQ
31 December 2003 (WENN)
Veteran actress Julie Walters was "chuffed to bits" when she was asked to pose naked for a men's mag - but turned it down so people will focus on her acting. The 53-year-old Brit - who famously derobed in this year's hit film Calendar Girls - refuses to take her clothes off in public again, because she thinks it distracts attention. Julie says, "I was asked about doing a nude shoot for men's magazine GQ. I thought it was the funniest thing I'd ever heard. I was chuffed to bits but I think I'm better off leaving that kind of thing to Anna Kournikova and Britney Spears. I am never going to go nude again. It completely distracts people from the performance and from the film. All everyone asks me about Calendar Girls is the stripping off, and I'm sick of it."

Oscar Winners to Team Up in Brit Comedy Remake?
15 November 2002 (WENN)
Oscar winners Die Another Day beauty Halle Berry and Training Day star Denzel Washington are in the frame to take the lead roles in a remake of hit eighties British comedy Educating Rita. The original 1983 film starring Billy Elliot actress Julie Walters and Alfie legend Michael Caine is set to be remade in the US with an all African-American cast. Original director Lewis Gilbert is set to helm the new version. He says, "My view was that you couldn't make a new film as good as the original unless you did something very different to it. That's why I find the idea of making it with a black cast so appealing. Making it a black film will take it sufficiently away from the original to make it fresh, but not too far away. There are so many good black actors in America. You only have to think of the two black actors who took the best actor awards at this year's Oscars (namely Berry and Washington)."

British Actors Strike Looming
11 September 2001 (WENN)
In the wake of the avoided American actors strike, British actors are meeting up with their agents today to discuss a possible strike next Tuesday. Famous Names from the British isles such as Oscar-nominated Julie Walters and Moulin Rouge hunk Ewan McGregor are backing an actors protest over rights for bonus payments. Actors union Equity is meeting with its members agents for support in the disagreement against the Producers' Alliance For Cinema And Television (Pact). In Britain, actors receive a one-off payment for any future broadcasts or sales of a film they have been in, and no matter how successful the film is, the money goes to the producers and distributors. Despite his lucky stance as a Hollywood superstar, Scottish Ewan has not forgotten his early days as struggling actor. Ewan fumes, "I am tired of making producers and distributors rich while I and my fellow actors are exploited." This Sunday all members of Equity will be invited to an open meeting to discuss the rights and royalties issues.

Emma And Julie Boycott Nestle
25 July 2001 (WENN)
British actresses Emma Thompson and Julie Walters are backing the Baby Milk Action campaign against food giant Nestle. Julie has joined new-mother Emma, who has a 19-month-old daughter Gaia, in boycotting the firm. Nestle has been providing powdered baby formula to mothers in the third world and discouraging breast feeding, despite breast milk being shown to have more nutrients, essential for baby's health. Nestle is sponsoring the Perrier Awards at the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, which demonstrates the best comedy talent from the British isles. Now a host of comedians are refusing to attend or perform until Nestle is disassociated from the event.

Curtain Rises On Harry Potter On The Internet
1 March 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Warner Bros. is giving Harry Potter fans their first glimpse of the characters in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The studio has posted the first trailer for the film on the Internet (http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/web/dailyprophet/article.jsp?id=movie _trailer1), featuring a montage of characters played by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Julie Walters, Maggie Smith, Richard Harris and others. (A trailer for 20th Century Fox's upcoming Planet of the Apes was scheduled to be posted on the Internet on Wednesday, but had yet to appear as of early this morning -- Thursday.)

BAFTA Awards: A Mixed Bag
26 February 2001 (StudioBriefing)
In its first ceremony staged in advance of the Oscars, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) named Gladiator best film of 2000 but awarded the best director prize to Ang Lee for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the best actor award to Jamie Bell, the teenaged star of Billy Elliot; and the best actress award to Julia Roberts for her performance in the title role of Erin Brockovich. Hometown sentiment was clearly evident as Bell received a thunderous ovation when he accepted his trophy and proceeded to charm the crowd. "I was kind of thinking about not bothering coming, " Bell said. "I thought, what's the point?" His competition included Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Tom Hanks (Cast Away), Geoffrey Rush (Quills), and Michael Douglas (Wonder Boys). Other top BAFTA awards: Best supporting actress: Julie Walters (Billy Elliot); Best supporting actor: Benicio Del Toro (Traffic); Best foreign-language film: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Best British film: Billy Elliot; Best original screenplay: Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous); Best adapted screenplay: Stephen Gaghan (Traffic).

Gladiator Gets Thumbs Up From Academy
13 February 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Proving once again that movie academy voters love their Roman epics, Ridley Scott's Gladiator picked up 12 Oscar nominations this morning (Tuesday), including nods for best picture, best actor (Russell Crowe) and best director (Scott). The Chinese-language Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was close behind with 10 nominations. The other best-picture candidates were Traffic, Erin Brockovich and Chocolat. The inclusion of Chocolat in the list was regarded by some analysts as more of a tribute to the marketing acumen of its distributor Miramax than a recognition of the artistic merits of the film. Almost Famous and Wonder Boys, two critical favorites that fared poorly at the box office but were regarded as strong candidates for best-picture nominations nonetheless, found themselves shut out in the four top categories (picture, actor, actress, director).

Nominees in the leading categories: Best Picture: Chocolat, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Erin Brockovich, Gladiator, Traffic. Actor: Javier Bardem, Before Night Falls; Russell Crowe, Gladiator; Tom Hanks, Cast Away; Ed Harris, Pollock; Geoffrey Rush, Quills. Actress: Joan Allen, The Contender; Juliette Binoche, Chocolat; Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream; Laura Linney, You Can Count On Me; Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich. Director: Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot; Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich; Ridley Scott, Gladiator; Steven Soderbergh, Traffic. Supporting Actor: Jeff Bridges, The Contender; Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire; Benicio Del Toro, Traffic; Albert Finney, Erin Brockovich; Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator. Supporting Actress: Judi Dench, Chocolat; Marcia Gay Harden, Pollock; Kate Hudson, Almost Famous; Frances McDormand, Almost Famous; Julie Walters, Billy Elliot. Screenplay (based on previously produced or published material): Robert Nelson Jacobs, Chocolat; Wang Hui Ling and James Schamus and Tsai Kuo Jung, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Stephen Gaghan, Traffic; Steve Kloves, Wonder Boys. Screenplay (original): Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous; Lee Hall, Billy Elliot; Susannah Grant, Erin Brockovich; David Franzoni and John Logan and William Nicholson, Gladiator; Kenneth Lonergan, You Can Count On Me.

SAG Nominees Announced
31 January 2001 (StudioBriefing)
The Screen Actors Guild did little to help focus attention on a particular favorite for the Oscars Tuesday as it released its nominations for the seventh annual SAG awards, to be held March 11. Its selections covered a variety of films, embracing the barely noticed The Contender (three nods), while ignoring two critical favorites: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Wonder Boys. These were the major nominations in the feature film categories: Best Actor: Jamie Bell, Billy Elliot; Russell Crowe, Gladiator; Benicio Del Toro, Traffic; Tom Hanks, Cast Away; Geoffrey Rush, Quills. Best Actress: Joan Allen, The Contender; Juliette Binoche, Chocolat; Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream; Laura Linney, You Can Count on Me; Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich. Best Supporting Actor: Jeff Bridges, The Contender; Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire; Albert Finney, Erin Brockovich; Gary Oldman, The Contender; Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator. Best Supporting Actress: Judi Dench, Chocolat; Kate Hudson, Almost Famous; Frances McDormand, Almost Famous; Julie Walters, Billy Elliot; Kate Winslet, Quills. Cast: Almost Famous, Billy Elliot, Chocolat, Gladiator, Traffic.

Julie's Big Step Too Far
9 January 2001 (WENN)
Actress Julie Walters got the surprise of her life when playing a ballet teacher in the hit movie Billy Elliot (2000) - by managing to increase the flab on her stomach. Julie, 50, admits one sequence of moves amplified parts of her physique she would have rather not known about. The curvaceous star says, "I was sitting in the cinema with my husband. I wanted to cry first of all, and then my second thought was: 'What is that jiggling up and down in the middle?' I didn't even know I'd got that. Then I thought it was Fantasia (1940), the hippopotamus, and I felt sorry for myself."

Billy Elliott Favored To Win At European Film Awards
1 December 2000 (StudioBriefing)
The British dance drama Billy Elliot is a heavy favorite to win the Film of the Year award at the European Film Awards on Saturday. Other top contenders are the Cannes winner Dancer in the Dark, the French comedy Harry, He's Here to Help and the Liv Ullman-directed drama Faithless. Elliot is also favored to pick up awards for fifteen-year-old Jamie Bell for best actor and Julie Walters for best actress. The ceremonies, to be held at the Theatre National de Chaillot in Paris, will also see special honors bestowed on actors Richard Harris, Jean Reno and Roberto Benigni.

Billy Elliott Adds More Honors
9 November 2000 (StudioBriefing)
The hit British film Billy Elliot has garnered three nominations at this year's European Film of the Year Awards, including Best Film, Best Actor (Jamie Bell) and Best Actress (Julie Walters). Other films nominated in the Best film category include the Cannes winner Dancer in the Dark (2000), the French comedy Harry, He's Here to Help, the British animated feature Chicken Run (2000), and the Liv Ullmann-directed drama Faithless. The awards will be presented at ceremonies at the Theatre National de Chaillot in Paris on Dec. 2.

Movie Reviews: Titanic Town
1 September 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Julie Walters hasn't been seen much in films since she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Educating Rita (1983) 17 years ago, but critics are welcoming her back to the screen with much applause for her latest film, Titanic Town (1998). "One of this season's most welcome comebacks, " writes Lou Lumenick in The New York Post. Walters is "at her best, " comments Rita Kempley in the Washington Post. A "powerful performance, " says Stephen Holden in the New York Times. But Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times is not impressed. He says that Walters plays the central character "with virtually no variation on numerous similar portrayals." He concludes: "Titanic Town is an admirable, thoughtful venture, but it may leave you with the feeling that you've seen it all before."