Mary Reilly

Mary Reilly is a fictional maid and the titular protagonist from the 1996 film Mary Reilly. She was played by actress Julia Roberts.

Biography
Mary Reilly was a house servant who lived in London, England during the late 19th century. She was in the employ of a prominent physician named Henry Jekyll. The soft-spoken Mary developed a close bond with her employer, which slowly grew into a deep affection. Mary's life took a tumultuous turn however when she discovered that Jekyll had been sponsoring a mysterious new assistant named Edward Hyde.

One evening, Jekyll asked Mary to deliver a letter to the madam of a whorehouse named Mrs. Farraday. Upon doing so, Mary caught her first glimpse of the enigmatic Mister Hyde. Although she found herself attracted to Hyde, she also found herself very guarded against him. She grew uncomfortable when Doctor Jekyll asked her to assist Edward Hyde in some routine labors, not the least of which involved collecting animal organs from a slaughterhouse, which Jekyll required for his laboratory experiments. Before long, Mary found herself drawn into Edward Hyde's web of intrigue. While attempting to make funeral arrangements for her recently deceased mother, she came upon Hyde who was on the run from the local authorities. Hyde had ended his relationship with Mrs. Farraday in a permanent and brutal manner.

The following morning, Mary was shocked to find Mister Hyde in her master's bed. He then revealed the truth of his nature to her, explaining that both Henry Jekyll and he were actually the same person. By way of a special serum, Henry Jekyll had attempted to excise the more instinctive and primal elements of his persona from his form. The experiment did not go as planned, and he found himself physically shifting into the form of the more free-spirited Edward Hyde.

Mary decided that she had endured enough of this bizarre household and made preparations to leave. Hyde wouldn't allow it however, and held a knife to her throat, forcing her to witness his transformation. However, Doctor Jekyll had poisoned the serum he had created to prompt the change, and Hyde died before Mary's eyes.

Presumably, Mary Reilly sought future employment elsewhere. What became of Mary following these events is unknown.

Notes & Trivia



 * The character of Mary Reilly is based on the character featured in the 1990 novel Mary Reilly by author Valerie Martin. The character is exclusive to the continuity of this book and the film adaptation. She has no counterpart in the original The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde novel or any of its other film adaptations.


 * Actress Sasha Hanau played young Mary Reilly in flashback scenes.


 * Playing the role of Mary Reilly is actress Julia Roberts' sixteenth movie role. It is her second film in the sci-fi/horror genre after 1990's Flatliners. Julia Roberts is also known for her work in films such as Pretty Woman, Sleeping With the Enemy and Runaway Bride.