On the hit TV show, she plays Logan Roy’s conniving second wife and mother of three, but in real life, Dame Harriet Walter finds happiness in the little things.
Walter, who plays Caroline Collingwood in the HBO series, has opened up about not having children — admitting she never felt “deprived of it.”
She added that she wondered if having children of her own would make it easier for her to play the role of a mother.
The dramatist also discussed how there are no rules to happiness – noting that some people can be childless and “happily happy”, and that people who are married with children can be unhappy.
write in Sunday timesthe London-based actress has also opened up about falling in love with her husband, Jay Paul, in her late 50s.
Dame Harriet Walter, 72, contemplated not having children and finding love in her 60s, wrote in The Sunday Times (pictured in London in 2022)
Mrs. Walter thought whether she should not be a mother herself should stop her from portraying one on screen.
I didn’t have children – does that mean I couldn’t play Lady Caroline? Sometimes I wonder if I could have brought something else to the part if I had. The truth is, the actress wrote, “I’ve never felt so upset about it.”
She added that having children does not guarantee happiness, and there are no rules about what should make you happy in life.
I have friends with children who have been in long marriages and they are unhappy. I have friends who have no children and no partner and they are blissfully happy. She said there are no rules.
The actress has been married to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them actor Jay Paul since 2011, when she was 60 years old.
The couple met five years after Walter’s fiancé, actor Peter Blythe, died of lung cancer in 2004.
The actress admitted that she didn’t know if she’d be able to love again after Blythe’s death, but eventually fell in love with Paul while working on a play, with romance blossoming behind the scenes.
Walter also revealed that she loves spending her time going out with friends or going to the theatre, but just as much enjoys staying home for a quiet night, and not going to bed before 2am.
The actress has been married to actor Jay Paul (pictured) since 2011. She was previously engaged to actor Peter Blythe, who died of lung cancer in 2004. Pictured with Paul at 221 in London
The actress rarely gets out of bed before 8:30 in the morning, but she likes to start her day with a quick walk and some granola for breakfast.
She admitted that she is not interested in cooking, and would rather spend her time reading, learning new languages, or playing the piano.
Known to have played male roles in Shakespeare’s plays, including Brutus in Julius Caesar and Prospero in The Tempest, as well as Henry IV, Walter added that people should be able to put themselves in other people’s shoes.
In Succession, Harriet plays Lady Caroline Collingwood, second wife to Logan Roy and mother to Kendall, Roman, and Chef (pictured)
She also reversed her role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, saying that filming with Chewbacca was a fantasy.
Harriet added that she was hoping to take her costume home with her after being fascinated by the first Star Wars movie in 1977 — but she wasn’t allowed to.
I also discussed how it would be right for Sir Ben Kingsley not to be asked to play Mahatma Gandhi, as he did in the 1982 film, which earned him an Academy Award – the film won a slew of awards, including Best Picture.
Walter also thought about aging, complaining that women of a certain age are often labeled evil mothers or aunts because of ageism in the acting world.
She added that while she tries to take care of herself, she also finds it comforting to see people of such a good age.
