Product Description

Julie Walters has been described as the nation's most popular actress and comedienne. She has been delighting us on screen and on stage for over 25 years and we have taken her to our hearts. Now she tells us her own story, in her own words. She was born in fifties Birmingham, daughter of an austere Irish Catholic mother. She was sent to school in a convent and from a young age always wanted to be an actress but to appease her mother she first went into nursing. This didn't last for long though and she soon went to join the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. West End success followed, and she quickly replicated her success on film, earning an Academy Award nomination for her role opposite Michael Caine in Educating Rita. Julie's collaborations with her close friend Victoria Wood have given us, among others, the unforgettable character 'Mrs Overall' in Acorn Antiques and Petula in 'dinnerladies', and she's recently charmed a new generation of fans playing Mrs Weasley in the Harry Potter films and alongside Meryl Streep in 'Mamma Mia!', as well as co-starring with Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls. The winner of countless awards, Julie has continued to be in some of Britain's best TV drama and was awarded a CBE for her services to the theatre. A natural writer with an instinctive sense of timing, Julie's memoirs are warm, moving, painfully felt, fiercely intelligent - and totally entertaining.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-02
• Released on: 2008-10-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Review
'I was enthralled by her memoirs... a celebrity memoir which is actually worth reading as a work of literature' -- AN Wilson READER'S DIGEST 'THAT'S ANOTHER STORY is funny, evocative, reasonably revealing and underpinned throughout by an appealing sense of humanity.' -- John Preston THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Walters's book - also well written - has moments of Alan Bennett warmth' -- Roland White THE SUNDAY TIMES 'This is a humorous and, at times, moving read from this much-loved actress.' WOMAN AND HOME 'The Walters who emerges from THAT'S ANOTHER STORY is a mischievous Brummie whose childhood seems to belong to an earlier century, with its horse-drawn milkcart.' -- Claire Armitstead THE GUARDIAN

Review
'I was enthralled by her memoirs.... a celebrity memoir which is actually worth reading as a work of literature' (AN Wilson READER'S DIGEST )

'THAT'S ANOTHER STORY is funny, evocative, reasonably revealing and underpinned throughout by an appealing sense of humanity.' (John Preston THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )

'Walters's book - also well written - has moments of Alan Bennett warmth' (Roland White THE SUNDAY TIMES )

'This is a humorous and, at times, moving read from this much-loved actress.' (WOMAN AND HOME )

'The Walters who emerges from THAT'S ANOTHER STORY is a mischievous Brummie whose childhood seems to belong to an earlier century, with its horse-drawn milkcart.' (Claire Armitstead THE GUARDIAN )

About the Author
Julie Walters was nominated for an Oscar for Educating Rita, having made the part her own on stage, and starred in Billy Elliot. She is Mrs Weasley in the Harry Potter films. Versatile enough to appear both as Mrs Overall in her friend Victoria Wood's 'Acorn Antiques' as well as the sexy Wife of Bath in the BBC's adaptation of The Canterbury Tales, she is often cited as the nation's best-loved actress.

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable - but felt there was something missing...
I was a happy bunny when I received this as a Christmas present! Julie Walters has been in the limelight a long time, but I wouldn't have called myself a 'fan' as such until more recently, when she appeared in films such as Calendar Girls, Harry Potter and Mamma Mia, and the hilarious TV drama Driving Lessons, with Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley from Harry Potter). It was Mamma Mia, though, which completely sold me on her and made me want to read her autobiography.

That's Another Story follows Julie's life from her birth and upbringing in Birmingham, to more current events. The tales of her childhood are hilarious, particularly the references to her dotty grandmother and other mad people she encountered as a child. Her rise to fame is documented from her beginnings on stage and then the shift to screen.

I did enjoy the book, but felt that it didn't really go into detail much about some of her more recent work. For example, the titles I mentioned above have only been briefly alluded to in the book, so I'm wondering if perhaps there are plans for a follow-up autobiography in the future. I was disappointed not to have read more about the filming of some of my favourite films - Harry Potter and Mamma Mia. I guess perhaps people older than myself who are more acquainted with her previous work will not feel they've missed out, but for people that have been won over by her stellar performances in the past few years, I think they'll feel the way I do.

Definitely worth a read - grab yourself a bargain copy, or wait until it comes out as a paperback.

Not just a story but a rare insight
If you liked Julie Walters in any of her work, Mrs O on stage or screen, Billy Elliot, Mrs Weasley in the well known Harry Potter films, Rita (the first and best), Petula Gordino or any number of fantastic characters then this is the book for you.

This is the story behind the characters. I knew very little about said author, the bare minimum of being with Grant (though how they got together left me laughing quite loudly), her daughter Maisie and how she met up with Victoria Wood. How I knew so little and oh how I cried with laughter (even in public) at this tale, which no doubt comes from the bottom of Walters's heart.

Walters's starts this story from her birth; in fact we are taken to just before her birth, with the recount of it by her mother (told by Julie who as she says felt she was there). Her mother obviously told this tale on more than one occasion that you feel you know exactly what was going to come. I have a mother like that.

Through her school life, not quite so happy but educating in more ways than one. Her education beginning with Nuns moving to the local grammar school with a borderline pass in the 11 plus, where her education moved up a gear as did puberty.

Her short adventure into nursing has stayed with her and the stories are whilst fraught with the real life and death situations have a touch of humour in them, it is Walters's wit and style that brings it so much to life.

The move into acting is a major turning point and is what has shaped and continues to shape the actress today. Living in some rather ropey bedsits in seedy neighbourhoods is just the backdrop as we see how Walters's went from being the 'class clown' to award winning actress, (though Oscar eludes her). A major part of the book is given over to "Rita" as this is the catalyst turning point for the actress. Other roles such as Buster or Harry Potter are referenced without details or depth about it. Not a criticism merely an observation. Care is taken with other fellow actors and comedians she has met over the years and they are all treated as friends still when recalled.

The book stops with the birth of Maisie but obviously the story does not stop. Walter's has always maintained to be fiercely protective over her daughter and husband and this is evident in the book and probably why it ends when it does. However I do not feel cheated as if she has missed anything out, I feel honoured to have read so much. Perhaps there is always room for another book.

Heart warming, uplifting, revealing and hilariously funny, Julie Walters's autobiography is a must for any fan of her work. It shows that no matter how old you are you never stop learning from life experiences.

A national treasure and a treasure of a book.

I love you Julie but.........
The book is not well written, and probably written too early in her occupation as a magnifiencent national treasure.

The book has the feel of being a collection of tales that came to light around a dinner table and were roughly put together in a book and for tidiness's sake applied to one person's alleged experience.

Several incidents I distinctly remember finding in other collections that are generally considered to be part of show business folk lore.

For me a very difficult read, it was very crude and not in a chuckly way, more an "Of Dear" way.

I have no doubt that many of the amusing and/or traumatic incidents did happen to our Julie but the less convincing material diminished the 'fun' of the telling - for example the colourful 'vomit' interludes.

Be Julie next time please, a ghost writer would enable you to have your colourful, amusing story told in a way that kept your diginity intact and be an enthralling read.

You are better than this.... but I would still take a bullet for you.