Julie Walters is relieved to have overcome her 10-year battle with menopause.

The 63-year-old actress experienced as many as 15 hot flushes a night while going through menopause - which marks the end of the fertile phase of a woman's life - but now feels ''liberated'' and has ''more energy'' than ever before.

Julie said: ''It's liberating ... it's a huge relief. It's liberating to be out of the rat race that life is, it's a huge relief - both going through it and coming out the other side.

''It's different when you're going through it because you have things you have to deal with, but that's life and every so often you have to address things and deal with them the best you can. If you deal with it in a healthy fashion then I think you come out the other side a better person.

''I've got so much more energy now than I ever had in my early 50s before the menopause.''

Julie was cast as Molly Weasley in the blockbuster 'Harry Potter' franchise and found it difficult filming scenes where she was dressed in cloaks and wigs, and also felt exhausted since her hot flushes stopped her from getting a good night's sleep.

She is quoted by MailOnline as saying: ''The worst aspect for me were the hot flushes and not being able to sleep - my sleep has always been a bit fragile but it was very bad through that time and trying to work at the same time.

''Trying to film when you're constantly flushing is very difficult - I remember being on 'Harry Potter' and they had to turn the air conditioning onto me. I used to get so hot with all the padding and the wig and everything.''