Emily Mortimer stars inPaddington in Peruas the Brown family matriarch, Mary Brown, taking over the role from Sally Hawkins. The third installment in thePaddingtonmovie franchise,Paddington in Peru,sees the titular bear receiving a mysterious letter from his Aunt Lucy and traveling to her hometown of Peru with his adoptive family, the Browns.Reviews forPaddington in Peruhave 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 previouscast members returned forPaddington 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. WhilePaddington in Perudivided criticscompared 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 inPaddington in Peruin 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 thirdPaddingtonmovie, and makes Emily Mortimer’s role much smaller than Sally Hawkins' previously.
In the first twoPaddingtonmovies,Mary Brown, played by Sally Hawkins, played a supporting but important role throughout the story. In the firstPaddingtonmovie, 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.”

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Sally Hawkins' character also played a pivotal role inPaddington 2,released in 2017. In the secondPaddingtonmovie, 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 Londonand 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 thirdPaddingtonmovie takes place seven years after the events ofPaddington 2, and shows that the Brown family has changed in the years since Paddington was exonerated from prison. InPaddington 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.
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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. ByPaddington 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 forPaddington 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 thePaddingtoncast “was nerve-wracking, and I had some trepidation” (viaEntertainment Weekly). However, Mortimer also expressed her gratitude to the cast, who gave her a warm welcome, saying that “it was immediately so embracing.”
2014

97%
2017

99%
2025
Paddington in Peru
94%
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” (viaDigital 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].”
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WhilePaddington in Peruis notranked the best of the threePaddingtonmovies, Emily Mortimer was praised for her portrayal of Mary Brown. Critics have described her as “a worthy and nicely fretful replacement” for Sally Hawkins (viaIndependent).Paddington 3’sdirector, 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 (viaGood Housekeeping).Emily Mortimer also earned accolades for maintaining the family-orientated personality of Mary Browndepicted 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 twoPaddingtonmovies, which ranked as two of her best feature films. But while many felt her compassionate and charming performance was one of the franchise’s best aspects, Hawkins decided not to return for the thirdPaddington. In an interview withVariety,Hawkins explained that she felt it was the right time to move on from thePaddingtonfranchiseand 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 inPaddington in Peru.
Sally Hawkins expressed her approval of Emily Mortimer as Mary Brown inPaddington 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 therecasting of Mary Brownmay have been an initial surprise, Emily Mortimer provides a strong and emotional performance as Mary Brown throughoutPaddington in Peruthat makes her a worthy replacement for Sally Hawkins.
Sources:Entertainment Weekly,Digital Spy,Independent,Good Housekeeping,Variety
Paddington in Peru follows the beloved bear as he embarks on an adventure to visit Aunt Lucy in her new home at the Home for Retired Bears. Accompanied by the Brown Family, they uncover a mystery that leads them through the Amazon rainforest and the mountainous regions of Peru.