Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again: the iconic 2008 movie has a super-fun sequel coming out this weekend! In honor of the new movie, we have 40 fun facts you may not know about the cast. Keep reading below to find out more about the cast of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
MERYL STREEP
1) She has 4 children – singer/songerwriter Henry, actresses Mamie and Grace, and model Louisa.
2) Some of her most notable work includes: Sophie’s Choice, The Bridges of Madison County, The Devil Wears Prada, Into the Woods, and of course, both of the Mamma Mia! movies.
3) The next place you’ll see her is on your TV screens! Meryl will play Mary Louise Wright on the popular HBO series Big Little Lies.
4) She has a total of 18 academy awards – 2 SAG Awards, 3 Primetime Emmys, 8 Golden Globes, 2 BAFTAs, and 3 Oscars.
AMANDA SEYFRIED
5) You might know Amanda from her role as “Karen” in Mean Girls.
6) She is married to Thomas Sadoski and they have a daughter together. She previously dated her Mamma Mia costar Dominic Cooper, as well as James Franco and Justin Long.
7) Before her various actor boyfriends and recent marriage, Amanda had a big crush on Leonardo DiCaprio! Bonus little fact: Leo produced the film, Red Riding Hood, which Amanda played the main character.
8) She loves animals! She has an adorable dog named Finn!
9) She gained worldwide recognition for her role as “Cosette” in Les Miserables.
LILY JAMES
10) Her actual name is Lily Thomson, but she changed her last name to James in honor of her late father.
11) Her breakthrough film role was playing the eponymous character in 2015’s Cinderella. She then went onto star in Baby Driver, Darkest Hour and even did a stint on the popular TV show Downton Abbey.
12) Her hair is naturally dark brown, but she had to dye it for Downton Abbey, which also made her get noticed for the Cinderella movie!
13) She’s been dubbed “the next Kiera Knightly” – they do kind of look alike!
14) She’s English, and attended two London schools for her formal acting training/background.
15) She apparently didn’t speak for a whole week to keep her voice in tip-top shape to sing in Mama Mia! Here We Go Again. Talk about dedication!
PIERCE BROSNAN
16) He has dual citizenship in Ireland and the US (Pierce was born in Ireland).
17) Pierce portrayed James Bond in 4 of the feature films, from 1995-2002.
18) He also has done a ton of charity work and raised environmental awareness for various campaigns over the years.
COLIN FIRTH
19) He won the Oscar for his performance in the 2010 movie The King’s Speech.
20) One of his most prominent roles was in the miniseries Pride & Prejudice, where he played “Mr. Darcy.” And of course, he was in the Bridget Jones’ Diary movies.
21) He was also a part of the ensemble cast of the super popular movie, Love Actually, which also included Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson.
CHER
22) Even though she’s known as Cher now, she did have a few other names before sticking with the singular word. She originally went by Bonnie Jo Mason, then when she worked with Sonny Bono – she took on 1/2 of the Sonny and Cher name.
23) She originally started in TV, getting cast as an extra on shows such as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
24) She then moved onto singing backup/background singing when Sonny introduced her to famous producers and recording artists.
25) Her song “Believe” paved the way for autotune, which many recording artists use in their songs today.
26) Speaking of music, Cher was actually featured in ABBA’s music video “The Last Video.” PS: ABBA songs are a central part of the Mamma Mia franchise, so that’s pretty awesome!
JULIE WALTERS
27) She played Molly Weasley (Ron Weasley’s mother) in 7 out of the 8 Harry Potter movies.
28) Julie will reunite with her Mamma Mia costars Colin Firth and Meryl Streep in the 2019 film Marry Poppins Returns.
29) She portrayed “Mrs. Austen” in the 2007 film Becoming Jane.
30) She’s acted in 16 London based theatre productions.
CHRISTINE BARANSKI
31) Christine actually portrayed Lily James’ stepmother in the movie Cinderella. How cool is that – more worlds collide!
32) She also starred in the popular TV series The Good Wife, and its spinoff, The Good Fight.
33) One of her other famous TV roles was from 1995-1998 on the hit sitcom Cybill.
DOMINIC COOPER
34) Dominic and Amanda are still friends after their breakup in 2011. Though it was “a little weird” for the both of them to play people in love again – and to sing that ABBA song.
35) Dominic currently leads the AMC drama Preacher, playing the small town preacher with a twisted past.
ANDY GARCIA
36) In addition to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Garcia also had a supporting role in the Oceans trilogy.
37) He’s also been in a a few recent blockbusters, including 2016’s Passengers, 2017’s Geostorm, and 2018’s Book Club.
38) He co-wrote, directed, and acted in the 2005 film The Lost City.
STELLAN SKARSGARD
39) He has a total of 8 children, including well-known actor Alexander Skarsgard.
40) He had a supporting role in a few of the Pirates of the Caribbean films and some of the Marvel films, including Thor and Avengers. He too, was in the 2015 Cinderella film, playing the role of “The Grand Duke.”
Be sure to see the movie this weekend when it hits theaters on July 20! Enjoy the music, the dancing, and of course, the amazing cast!
Kari Highman is a Beauty and Fashion Blogger at Feeling the Vibe Magazine. Otterbein Alum (2017) – English & Psychology. Always learning & creating. Avid fan of mid 2000’s TV & pop music. Comments or tips, email kari@feelingthevibe.com