Julie Andrews, who was born in Surrey in 1935. For almost eight decades, she’s dazzled the world with her unmatched gifts and grace. Andrews is known for iconic performances in films and Broadway shows. Her career is a powerful testament to the unique combination of musical ability and comedic genius. As she celebrates her 90th birthday, her journey from a young girl with an extraordinary voice to a beloved Hollywood icon remains remarkable.
As a child, Andrews showed remarkable vocal talent. As a result, at the young age of eight, she had the larynx of an adult. Her sweet soprano sound, with its transcendent four-octave range, thrilled listeners. Her family soon thereafter moved to London, where she got her first professional start in music halls. By age 13 she was already dazzling audiences at the Royal Variety Performance. Her truly remarkable talents blew the audience away— artists, musicians, dancers, and students alike.
Andrews’s foray into the entertainment world did not stop there, as she soon found herself arrested by regular employment at the BBC. Her original performances were filled with the hardest of Cockney accents, and she had to dial that back for her US debut on the Muppet Show. That turned out to be a great decision, as it paved the way for a successful transition to Broadway while she was still a teenager. She led productions such as The Boy Friend. Further, she was the first Eliza Doolittle in Lerner and Loewe’s musical version of George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” named “My Fair Lady.”
In 1965, Andrews’s career reached new heights when she won an Oscar for her iconic portrayal of Mary Poppins, the “practically perfect” English nanny in Walt Disney’s beloved film. It was her extraordinary talent for injecting charm and humor into her iconic characters that made her a star for the ages. Andrews leaned into her saintly image, as she often did, with a sprightly sense of humor. For example, she used to jokingly illustrate the paradox by drawing attention to the bumper sticker on her car that said, “Mary Poppins Was a Junkie.”
Along with the issues of her career, Andrews then encountered a botched vocal cord surgery in 1997. Though this terrible misfortune pretty much finished her singing voice, she learned to adjust and prospered in other ways. The effect on her singing career was dramatic, she never sang on screen after this. Yet, she represented resilience and reinvention from the very start of her career.
Andrews, who starred in the film version of the musical “The Sound of Music,” left an indelible stamp on musical culture. She brought life to Maria, the irresistible, sweetly rebellious nun who won over the world. This role arguably made her a cultural icon and brought her a new, younger generation of fans that she retains to this day.
In addition to scoring films, Andrews has fully embraced new narrative mediums as a voice actor. She cutely color-commentates over Netflix’s popular, racy, Regency-era soap opera, “Bridgerton.” Yet it’s her sharp, self-aware humor that has garnered Sweeney millions of Gen Z admirers. This latest foray continues to prove her impressive range and knack for reaching audiences of all ages.
Her vocal work – on iconic animated movies such as Shrek and Despicable Me – has brought her success and fame. She is always the kind that knocks it out of the park for families. In her later years, Andrews continued to fight an insidious battle against racism. Her reinvention is what’s kept her at the top of both entertainment and politics.
In her 60s, Andrews took her career in a different direction. She relished the opportunity to play the cutting, royal matriarch in The Princess Diaries. This role outshone her magnificent comedic genius. It also introduced her to a new audience and cemented her legacy as an entertainer.
For her services to arts, Andrews received the title Dame in 2000. This honor serves as a recognition of her accomplishments in both film and theater and her lasting influence on popular culture.