Emily Mortimer stars in Paddington in Peru as the Brown family matriarch, Mary Brown, taking over the role from Sally Hawkins. The third installment in the Paddington movie franchise, Paddington in Peru, sees the тιтular bear receiving a mysterious letter from his Aunt Lucy and traveling to her hometown of Peru with his adoptive family, the Browns. Reviews for Paddington in Peru have called the movie a humorous and heartwarming continuation of the franchise, while offering a more complex and thrilling narrative than the previous two movies, receiving a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

While many previous cast members returned for Paddington in Peru, including Ben Whishaw as Paddington, and Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown, the role of Mary Brown was recast to Emily Mortimer, replacing Sally Hawkins from the previous two movies. In the third installment, Mary Brown struggles to accept that her children are growing up and don’t need her as much as they used to; she sees the trip to Peru as a way to bring the family closer together and strengthen their bond. While Paddington in Peru divided critics compared to the previous movies, the cast depicts a powerful tale of change and adventure.

Emily Mortimer’s Mary Brown Has A Smaller Role In Paddington In Peru Than Sally Hawkins Had

Mary Brown Set’s The Family’s Trip To Peru In Motion In Paddington 3

Emily Mortimer’s Mary Brown has a smaller role in Paddington in Peru in comparison to the previous two installments. When Paddington reveals his intention to visit Aunt Lucy in Peru, it is Mary who suggests that the family accompany him. However, while Mary Brown is involved in the search to find Aunt Lucy and El Dorado, both Henry and Jonathan take over from her, as leaders in preventing the Reverend Mother’s plane from crashing. This dynamic significantly reduces Mary Brown’s character in the third Paddington movie, and makes Emily Mortimer’s role much smaller than Sally Hawkins’ previously.

In the first two Paddington movies, Mary Brown, played by Sally Hawkins, played a supporting but important role throughout the story. In the first Paddington movie, released in 2014, it was Mary Brown who first approached the bear at Paddington station, offered him a place in their home, and named him Paddington. Although the rest of the Brown family are initially skeptical of the bear, it is through Mary’s influence and kindness that helped them warm up to him. When Paddington is abducted by Millicent Clyde, who intends to stuff him, Mary demands his return, stating “he’s family.”

Sally Hawkins’ character also played a pivotal role in Paddington 2, released in 2017. In the second Paddington movie, Mary helps Paddington buy a special one-of-a-kind pop-up book for his Aunt Lucy; after Paddington is arrested and wrongly sent to prison, Mary and her family set out to prove his innocence. In the movie’s climax, Mary uses her swimming skills to rescue Paddington from a destroyed train. Mary Brown proved to have a significant impact on Paddington’s journey to find his true place in London and his eventual home among the Brown family.

How Paddington In Peru Changes Mary Brown With Emily Mortimer

Emily Mortimer’s Mary Brown Deals With Changes Within Her Family In Paddington 3

The third Paddington movie takes place seven years after the events of Paddington 2, and shows that the Brown family has changed in the years since Paddington was exonerated from prison. In Paddington in Peru, Mary Brown is trying to figure out what is next for her family, as her children are growing up and are finding their own way in life. When painting a picture of the Brown family sitting on the family couch, Mary asks her husband, Henry, “What happens now?,” showing her uncertainties about the future and wishing to hold on to the past.

While Emily Mortimer depicts Mary Brown as kind-hearted, determined, and caring, similar to Sally Hawkins, she also shows Mary’s struggles to accept that her children are growing up and wishes to keep them close to her. This is also shown when she discovers Judy’s university map and changes one pin to a place closer to home. During the plane rescue, Mary expresses her delight at having her family “all be on the same sofa again,” showing her strong love for her family. By Paddington in Peru‘s ending, Mary has accepted that her children are grown up and, while that is difficult, she laments that “it’s just what happens next.”

Emily Mortimer Is A Great Mary Brown Replacement For Sally Hawkins In Paddington In Peru

Mortimer Was Nervous About Taking Over From Sally Hawkins In Paddington 3

While there was a mixed response when it was announced that Mary Brown would be recast for Paddington in Peru, Emily Mortimer proved to be the perfect actor to take over from Sally Hawkins. In the weeks following the announcement of her joining the cast, Mortimer expressed her initial fear of joining the Brown family, stating that it “is so perfectly rendered.” She also stated that joining the Paddington cast “was nerve-wracking, and I had some trepidation” (via Entertainment Weekly). However, Mortimer also expressed her graтιтude to the cast, who gave her a warm welcome, saying that “it was immediately so embracing.”

When the production team was looking for a new actress to portray Mary Brown, it was Hugh Bonneville (Henry Brown) who suggested Emily Mortimer for the part. Bonneville praised Mortimer’s performance as the Brown matriarch, stating “She’s a great warm character as a person and that shines through on screen. She has all the quirks and peculiarities you would want in a Mrs Brown” (via Digital Spy). Mortimer’s co-stars, Samuel Joslin (Jonathan Brown) and Madelaine Harris (Judy Brown) also expressed their approval, with Harris stating Mortimer “fit into the Paddington family as much as [everybody else].“

While Paddington in Peru is not ranked the best of the three Paddington movies, Emily Mortimer was praised for her portrayal of Mary Brown. Critics have described her as “a worthy and nicely fretful replacement” for Sally Hawkins (via Independent). Paddington 3’s director, Dougal Wilson, also praised Mortimer’s performance in the movie, stating “She’s radiant and warm and so clever” and describing her as the emotional core of the family (via Good Housekeeping). Emily Mortimer also earned accolades for maintaining the family-orientated personality of Mary Brown depicted in the previous two movies, while her emotional performance makes her the perfect replacement for Sally Hawkins.

Why Sally Hawkins Didn’t Return As Mary Brown In Paddington In Peru

Sally Hawkins Decided To Move On From The Paddington Franchise

Sally Hawkins was widely praised for her role as Mary Brown in the first two Paddington movies, which ranked as two of her best feature films. But while many felt her compᴀssionate and charming performance was one of the franchise’s best aspects, Hawkins decided not to return for the third Paddington. In an interview with Variety, Hawkins explained that she felt it was the right time to move on from the Paddington franchise and that “the experience of making the first two films has truly been some of the best and most creative times I have had.”

Sally Hawkins expressed her approval of Emily Mortimer as Mary Brown in Paddington in Peru, stating, “She is extraordinarily special. She will embody the essence of Mary Brown and yet make it utterly her own.” Hawkins also maintained her love of the franchise, stating “I will always be in love with Paddington’s world” and that she would miss her on-screen family. While the recasting of Mary Brown may have been an initial surprise, Emily Mortimer provides a strong and emotional performance as Mary Brown throughout Paddington in Peru that makes her a worthy replacement for Sally Hawkins.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Digital Spy, Independent, Good Housekeeping, Variety