Is Denise Gough Aunt Lettie in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’?
Door Jam: March 16, 2026
As the villainous Dedra Meero, Denise Gough was part of one of the greatest TV shows of 2025, Andor. Last year, she revealed she was in The Magician’s Nephew, but, like most other actors in the film, her role hasn’t been announced.
Now, NarniaWeb reports a rumor that she is portraying Aunt Letty, the sister of Uncle Andrew and Mabel Kirke. When she first confirmed joining the cast, she joked:
I’m doing a film with Greta Gerwig called Narnia. So that’s, I’m playing someone mean in that, but it’s fine, it’s to children, it’s okay.
Much like we discussed with Queen Helen last week, Aunt Letty’s character is not deeply developed in the book. She’s not described as mean, but Lewis does say she is “a very tough old lady” with a “firm, quiet voice.”
Most of her ire is directed toward her brother Andrew. At one point in the book, he asks to borrow money. She refuses and wonders aloud how he had the nerve to ask her. The narrator says:
There was a long, dull story of a grown-up kind behind these words. All you need to know about it is that Uncle Andrew, what between "managing dear Letty's business matters for her," and never doing any work, and running up large bills for brandy and cigars (which Aunt Letty had paid again and again) had made her a good deal poorer than she had been thirty years ago.
With the mention of 30 years ago and the Pauline Baynes illustrations, I imagined Aunty Letty as older than Gough (46). She is, however, between the ages of Carey Mulligan (40), who is playing Mabel, and Daniel Craig (58), rumored to be Andrew.
I can certainly imagine Gough as a matriarch running a stern home. Seemingly, we’ll get to see that on screen this Thanksgiving.
Not Safe But Good
C.S. Lewis quote of the week
“But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did.”
Edmund in The Horse and His Boy
This is one of the quotes from the 2026 Narnia Madness. Voting in the Just Four begins on Wednesday.
The Problem of Printers
Bad but unfortunately real C.S. Lewis book covers
I’m not sure which Narnia book features Yoda and Grogu, but that’s apparently what the people behind this AI-designed cover think.
Behind the Wardrobe
Sneak peek at the bonus articles
This might be the most jam-packed Door Jam post I can recall. Here’s just a few of the stories below for paid subscribers:
A significant part of The Magician’s Nephew book confirmed for the movie
More news sites reading Narnia books
Trailer for a C.S. Lewis theatrical show
Push to create a travel route celebrating Irish literature
Kate Winslet to join The Hunt for Gollum cast
Another Emmy-winning actress rumored for a Hunt for Gollum role
A Hobbit star won’t return, but a Lord of the Rings star will
Hunt for Gollum is likely not the last Middle-earth movie
And more!
