Recent Posts
Entertainment July 10, 2017
She's way more than the mean principal from "Matilda."
Do you remember that scene in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” where Harry literally inflates his aunt?
Well, if not, that woman is Pam Ferris, and she is one of Hollywood’s premiere character actresses. If she looked familiar in that scene, it’s because she usually plays the character you love to hate.
So without further ado, here are five facts you didn’t know about Hollywood’s most sadistic villain.
And yes, that’s why she’s familiar. Trunchbull was the villain who gave children nightmares into adulthood, traumatic experiences with cupboards and fear of any off-green suit. But despite the sadistic nature of the character, Pam Ferris claimed that Trunchbull was her favorite role to play.
Nevertheless, the role took a toll on her health. Chalk chunks got lodged in her eye during the eraser-attack scene, which warranted two hospital visits. The last visit resulted from a stunt gone wrong, where a contraption caused her to get seven stitches.
And you thought Matilda had it bad.
Ok, this one’s actually pretty adorable. Ferris grew up choreographing musicals, and she’s never given up dancing. She opened up to the Daily Express about her affinity for dancing that she shares with her husband:
“Roger and I like to twirl around the kitchen as we prepare dinner. My favorite music for dancing includes anything by Ry Cooder, Amy Winehouse or David Bowie.”
Why is there not a short film about this?
Pull out the Kleenexes for this one, ladies. Pam Ferris and her current husband Robert Frost met while working at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Ferris revealed the details of this serendipitous meeting to The Guardian: “[We]discovered that we both got the number 22 home. We spent the next four days going back and forth, and that was it.” It’s stupidly adorable.
The inflatable suit, which weighed fifty pounds and took three hours to put on, was not built for comfort. Pam Ferris revealed the details of this dangerous stunt to Metro Newspaper:
“I had several suits of latex which out compressed air between to expand me. It was absolute torture. We found that if we fired the air it stopped my lungs expanding so I couldn’t breathe, which is why I passed out.
If this isn’t dedication to your work, we don’t know what is.
Many Ferris fans may find this surprising, given that she played a nun on the BBC period drama series “Call the Midwife.” However, Ferris does not think her beliefs inhibit her from portraying her character truthfully. She told the Daily Star about her ironic circumstance:
“I don’t have to be a murderer to play one. And I am an atheist. I don’t know what faith is. I think that actually helps me play the part.”
In the same way, Ferris didn’t let her beliefs inhibit her from auditioning for a religious role. She demonstrates a healthy understanding between her work and her livelihood, a balance that not all celebrities can manage.
Essentially, Pam Ferris is the definition of beauty and grace. Though she is known for her most curmudgeonly roles, her background suggests an elegance worthy of Buckingham Palace.
