Why Judy Glatzel From The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It Looks So Familiar
Whether or not you believe in paranormal activity surrounding us, you'll absolutely do some double-takes after you see any film within the "Conjuring" franchise.
The series follows the exploits of the Warren family as they travel around the country to people who claim to have succumbed to demonic possession. The true story behind "The Conjuring" might be a little more nuanced, but they naturally stumble upon honest-to-God apparitions they seek to send back to Hell in the movies. In the latest installment of the franchise, "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It," the Warrens investigate the case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor), who killed his landlord under the influence of a demon (or so he claims). The way the movie depicts it (via Insider), a monster existed within a young boy named David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard), and after the exorcism, the beast made its way inside Arne.
The Glatzels, particularly the mother, Judy (Charlene Amoia), factor heavily into the plot, and you may find yourself with a few questions throughout the film. Namely, you may wonder where you've seen Amoia before, and the truth is that you've seen her in plenty of places without even realizing it. Her filmography extends back 20 years ago, and over that time, she's had some notable roles.
Charlene Amoia served the gang food on How I Met Your Mother
On "How I Met Your Mother," the main group of friends spends much of their time at MacLaren's Pub, throwing back a few beers while Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) tries to pick up women. One of the women Barney picks up at the bar is none other than Wendy, the waitress (Amoia). As with most things related to Barney, the relationship doesn't last, and it ends up creating a running gag where Barney refuses to drink anything she hands to him, believing she'd try to poison him.
She ends up in a little over a dozen episodes throughout the sitcom's run, but surprisingly enough, the writers actually gave the character a happy ending. In Season 6's "Garbage Island," we flash forward in time to learn how Wendy married one of Marshall's former coworkers and has three children.
Shortly after "Garbage Island" aired, Amoia had an interview with The Star Scoop where she spoke about what the flash-forward scene meant for her and her character: "We know for certain that [the mother is] not Wendy, finally after much speculation. So we have that. I really feel like I got lucky getting involved in this family ... it is such a great set to be on as well." Ultimately, Wendy's progression showed how much "How I Met Your Mother" cared about filling out the world and paying attention to the tiny details.
She became wife material in American Reunion
For a movie about a bunch of teenagers trying to have sex, "American Pie" has retained surprising longevity with several sequels to its name. That includes the last film to have the original main cast all in one place — 2012's "American Reunion." Over a decade after the original, the gang gets back together to celebrate how far they've come 10 years out of high school, and they've all made some pretty significant changes, including Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), who's now married to Ellie (Charlene Amoia).
Of course, once Kevin's back in his hometown, he rediscovers the passion he had for his old high school sweetheart, Vicky (Tara Reid). He becomes torn between his wife, whom he loves very much, and Vicky wondering what life would've been like had they managed to stay together. As a comedy, everything works out for everybody in the end, and Kevin stays with his wife while still managing to leave on good terms with Vicky.
There hasn't been any word yet on whether Amoia could return to the "American Pie" franchise. It's been 20 years since the first film came out, so a 20-year reunion wouldn't be out of the question, but the future's still unwritten.
She played Huntress's mother in Birds of Prey
Helena Bertinelli, a.k.a. The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) definitely has an anger problem in 2020's "Birds of Prey," but it all makes sense once you see her backstory. Like many superheroes before her, Helena witnessed her family's murder, ending with her mother falling on top of her body. She doesn't get much screen time, but Charlene Amoia is the actress playing that mother. She makes good use of the limited time she has onscreen to showcase the utter terror of not only facing her own death but that of her children.
In the lead-up to "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It," Amoia reflected on her time in "Birds of Prey" with CBR and what it's like to go into these massive franchises. She explained, "I always ask myself like, 'Why is this role in my life right now?' Sometimes it will just help me get into it deeper and looking for parallels, like if this character has fears that are grandiose or supernatural, but where in my life do I have some of these challenges."
Seeing as how both Maria and Judy Glatzel are mothers, perhaps that's a common thread she's exploring in her career at this moment in time.