The night of the Mary Poppins premiere should’ve been the ultimate triumph for Julie Andrews. Walt Disney had pulled out all the stops, transforming Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood into a magical wonderland complete with searchlights piercing the sky, fairytale characters roaming the red carpet, and fans cheering her arrival. Dressed to impress in a stunning cream silk gown with a rented mink stole, Julie walked in arm-in-arm with her husband and her proud father, who had flown in from England to witness the spectacle. But as it turned out, the evening wasn’t as enchanting as it seemed.
Unfortunately, things quickly spiraled downhill. “I wasn’t ready for the intense pressure, the constant attention, the feeling of being yanked in every direction,” Julie revealed in an honest moment. “I stood there the entire night, never sitting down, and I don’t think I even managed to eat a single bite. All I wanted was to get back home.”
Julie’s journey to becoming a Hollywood legend is nothing short of extraordinary. Born in wartime Britain, she began singing as a child, eventually becoming Broadway’s sweetheart in My Fair Lady. Her career skyrocketed when she starred in two timeless musicals: The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. Over six decades, Julie has earned countless accolades, including an Oscar, two Emmys, and three Grammys. Now, at 87, the twice-married mother of three reflects on her career with immense pride. “Who would’ve guessed that life would take such incredible twists and turns?” she muses.
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Early Beginnings: A Voice That Stunned the World
Julie was born in Surrey, England, in 1935. Music was a part of her life from the very beginning, thanks to her mother and stepfather. “My voice was unique—pure, white, and thin, with a four-octave range. Dogs would come running from miles around when I sang,” Julie recalls with a laugh. By the age of 12, she made her professional debut performing a challenging aria. Just three years later, she was already appearing on the radio. At 19, Julie made her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend, and the following year, she was offered the coveted role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. It was a role that would change her life forever.
The Bittersweet Path to Stardom
When Warner Bros. chose Audrey Hepburn for the film adaptation of My Fair Lady, Julie couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. “I understood their reasoning. Audrey was already a global star, while I was relatively unknown. Still, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad about not getting the chance to bring my version of Eliza to the screen,” Julie admits. But as fate would have it, Walt Disney was watching her perform in Camelot and offered her a golden opportunity to join the world of cinema.
Walt Disney was nothing if not accommodating. When Julie informed him that she was pregnant, he graciously postponed the production of Mary Poppins until after her baby was born. “He was incredibly kind,” Julie says. “Not only did he give me time to focus on my family, but he also hired my then-husband, Tony Walton, as a designer for the film. It was truly a dream come true.”
The Challenges of Bringing Mary Poppins to Life
Despite the excitement surrounding Mary Poppins, the shoot wasn’t without its difficulties. As a newcomer to the world of film, Julie faced a steep learning curve. On top of that, she struggled with the emotional toll of leaving her baby, Emma, behind each day. Making matters worse, the process of bringing the magical nanny to life was both dangerous and painful. The harness she wore to make her character fly left bruises, and during one particularly harrowing moment, Julie was dropped. “I hit the ground hard and was quite shaken,” she recalls. “I have to admit, I let out a string of colorful expletives.”
Despite the challenges, Julie’s hard work paid off. She won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her role in Mary Poppins. And at the Golden Globes, she couldn’t resist a little payback. “I’d like to thank a man who made a wonderful movie and who made all this possible in the first place—Mr. Jack Warner,” she quipped, referring to the studio head who had passed her over for My Fair Lady.
Life on Set: The Sound of Music
Filming The Sound of Music was another chapter filled with highs and lows. While Julie formed strong bonds with the young actors playing the Von Trapp children, her relationship with co-star Christopher Plummer was more distant. “He spent his evenings playing piano and drinking in hotel bars, while I stayed in my room with my toddler,” Julie shares. “I was lonely, and our marriage was going through a rough patch.”
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The weather in Austria didn’t make things any easier. “We had so much rain during filming,” Julie remembers. “And the helicopter used for the mountaintop scene was a nightmare. The downdraft would fling me into the grass after every take. By the end of the day, I was spitting dirt and hay!”
Looking back, Julie laughs at the memories, grateful for the lessons she learned along the way. “My mom always told me, ‘Don’t complain about anything. Just get on with it, and you’ll earn respect.’ And she was right. I paid my dues, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.”
