Real-life tragedies of Paddington cast - cancer battle, family feud and bitter divorce
The adorable story of Paddington Bear has managed to capture the hearts of both the nation and even our late Queen. But the high-profile cast behind the successful film series has dealt with their share of sorrow. Paddington, our most loved marmalade-obsessed bear, has been a beloved figure for many years, and has charmed audiences in the cinema with his own movie series, featuring an all-star cast. He even landed a special scene with Queen Elizabeth II during the 2012 Olympics.
The latest film, Paddington in Peru, is currently in cinemas, telling the story of what happens when the bear and his adopted family, the Browns, decide to visit his aunt Lucy in Peru. Unfortunately circumstances lead them towards misadventures in the Amazon rain forest and the mountains of Peru. From its beginnings in 1958 as a children's book by Michael Bond, Paddington is now set to star in a musical, with McFly's Tom Fletcher crafting the tunes.
As we once again enjoy the comedy from Paddington, let's look into the heartbreaking stories behind the glamorous cast - from Julie Walters' battle with cancer to Hugh Bonneville's tough divorce...
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Julie Walters
Our much-loved Dame Julie Walters, known in the film as Mrs Bird, revealed in 2020 that she was secretly dealing with stage three bowel cancer. The esteemed actress, aged 73, underwent surgery and chemotherapy following her life-altering diagnosis in 2018.
Doctors have since given her the all-clear, but she shared that she couldn't initially believe the news. Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, she admitted: "I was still thinking, 'That's ridiculous, he must have made a mistake'. I couldn't believe it."
The star of Harry Potter went to her doctor with indigestion and discomfort a year earlier. She was sent to a stomach surgeon who did a CT scan. They found two main tumours in her large intestine. During surgery, they took out 30cm of her colon.
She remembered the moment she told her husband, Grant Roffey, the sad news. She said: "I'll never forget his face. And tears came into his eyes and I thought, 'Oh Grant!' So I then worried about him, more than [me]."
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman plays the cold-hearted baddie, Millicent. The Australian actress, 55, is often seen with her youngest children, but her relationship with her oldest is not good.
She has Connor and Bella with her ex-husband Tom Cruise. They adopted them in the nineties. After they split up, their loyalties reportedly stayed with the Top Gun star. They chose to live with him and be part of Scientology.
In the year before she was last seen with the pair, in 2007 she said the pair refused to call her 'mum'. "My kids don't call me mommy, they don't even call me mom. They call me Nicole, which I hate and tell them off for it," she said.
In 2018, Nicole Kidman shared her commitment to keeping her children's lives private. She expressed, "I have to protect those relationships. I know 150 per cent that I would give up my life for my children because it's what my purpose is. They are adults. They are able to make their own decisions. They have made choices to be Scientologists and, as a mother, it's my job to love them."
Despite rumours of family troubles, the kids maintain they're on good terms with their mum. Bella said in 2016: "Of course [we talk], they're my parents".
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Bonneville, who plays Henry Brown in Paddington, split last year from his wife of 25 years, Lucinda. They tied the knot in 1998 and have one son together, Felix.
It's been reported that Hugh initiated the split, which left Lulu devastated. A local told The Sun about seeing an emotional Lulu discussing the breakup with friends in a pub: "She got incredibly emotional talking about the break-up," they revealed.
A source claimed that Hugh unexpectedly ended things one night. "It came totally out of the blue," they said. Lulu had never let fame interfere with their marriage and considered it strong since they met as teens.
In 2012, she shared: "I don't take any notice. I don't notice women fawning over him - although I know everybody talks about it. Don't forget, we met as teenagers and have a lot of history. We're not fazed by the glitz of the showbusiness world. We are just home-loving people and don't make a habit of hanging out at celebrity parties."
Sally Hawkins
Sally Hawkins, who played Mrs Mary Brown – until being replaced by Emily Mortimer in Paddington in Peru – has had quite a journey to stardom. Despite being incredibly shy since childhood and struggling with dyslexia, she's become an award-winning actress.
The star also lives with lupus, which causes chronic fatigue. Speaking about her dyslexia in 2018, Sally told the Mirror: "It can be quite bad sometimes. I flip lines and sight-reading [performing an unrehearsed script] is terrifying."
She also spoke about living with lupus, saying: "I do get quite tired but I don't let it stop me. I've been very lucky with it, for the most part. I'm not crippled with it, like some people. I just have to take it steady."
