104 Facts About Julie Andrews

Dame Julie Andrews was born on Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935 and is an English actress, singer, and author.

Julie Andrews has been honoured with an Honorary Golden Lion, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2007, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2022.

Julie Andrews was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000.

Julie Andrews starred in the Rodgers and Hammerstein's television musical Cinderella.

Julie Andrews made her feature film debut in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins where she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Between 1964 and 1986, Julie Andrews starred in various films working with directors including her husband Blake Edwards, George Roy Hill, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Julie Andrews returned to films appearing in The Princess Diaries, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, as well as Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime.

Julie Andrews lent her voice to the Shrek franchise and the Despicable Me franchise.

Julie Andrews starred in her own variety special The Julie Andrews Hour for which she received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Musical Series.

Julie Andrews has co-authored numerous children's books with her daughter and two autobiographies, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years and Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years.

Julie Andrews's mother, Barbara Ward Wells was born in Chertsey and married Edward Charles "Ted" Wells, a teacher of metalwork and woodwork, in 1932.

Julie Andrews was conceived as a result of an affair her mother had with a family friend.

Julie Andrews discovered her true parentage from her mother in 1950, although it was not publicly disclosed until her 2008 autobiography.

Wells assisted with evacuating children to Surrey during the Blitz, while Julie Andrews's mother joined her husband in entertaining the troops through the Entertainments National Service Association.

Julie Andrews lived briefly with Wells and her brother, John in Surrey.

Julie Andrews's stepfather sponsored lessons for her, first at the independent arts educational school Cone-Ripman School in London, and thereafter with concert soprano and voice instructor Madame Lilian Stiles-Allen.

Julie Andrews later stated that "it must have been ghastly, but it seemed to go down all right".

Fellow child entertainer Petula Clark, three years her senior, recalled touring around the UK by train to sing for the troops alongside Julie Andrews; they slept in the luggage racks.

Julie Andrews had her career breakthrough when her stepfather introduced her to managing director Val Parnell, whose Moss Empires controlled prominent performance venues in London.

At age 12, Julie Andrews made her professional solo debut at the London Hippodrome, singing the difficult aria "Je suis Titania" from Mignon as part of a musical revue, called "Starlight Roof", on 22 October 1947.

On 1 November 1948, a thirteen-year-old Julie Andrews became the youngest solo performer ever to be seen in a Royal Variety Performance before King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the London Palladium.

Julie Andrews performed alongside singer Danny Kaye, dancers the Nicholas Brothers, and the comedy team George and Bert Bernard.

Julie Andrews performed in musical interludes of the BBC Light Programme comedy show Up the Pole and was a cast member in Educating Archie, from 1950 to 1952.

Julie Andrews reportedly made her television debut on the BBC programme RadiOlympia Showtime on 8 October 1949.

Julie Andrews appeared on West End theatre at the London Casino, where she played one year each as Princess Badroulbadour in Aladdin and the egg in Humpty Dumpty.

Julie Andrews appeared on provincial stages in Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood, as well as starring as the lead role in Cinderella.

On 30 September 1954, the eve of her 19th birthday, Julie Andrews made her Broadway debut as Polly Browne in the London musical The Boy Friend.

Julie Andrews was recommended to director Vida Hope for the part by actress Hattie Jacques, whom Julie Andrews regards as a "catalyst" for her career.

Julie Andrews was anxious about moving to New York; at the time, she was both breadwinner and caretaker for her family, and took the part upon her father's encouragement.

Julie Andrews stated that at the time, she had "no idea" how to research a role or study a script, and cites Cy Feuer's direction as being "phenomenal".

The Boy Friend became a hit, with Julie Andrews receiving praise; critics called her the stand-out of the show.

In 1955, Julie Andrews signed to appear with Bing Crosby in the television film, High Tor.

Julie Andrews was offered the part during her third reading.

Julie Andrews referred it as the best acting lesson she had ever received, later cementing the role with her "own touches and flourishes" and continuing to work on the character throughout her two-year run.

Julie Andrews describes her performances as Eliza as "the great learning period" of her life.

Julie Andrews was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role.

Julie Andrews described the performance as "incredibly hard" and stated it took her "years to realise the enormity" of the production.

In 1957, Julie Andrews released her debut solo album, The Lass with the Delicate Air, which harked back to her British music hall days.

The album includes performances of English folk songs as well as the World War II anthem, "London Pride", a patriotic song written by Noel Coward in 1941 during the Blitz, which Julie Andrews herself had survived.

Julie Andrews called the work "monumental" due to the heavy set costuming and detailed literary themes.

Camelot premiered at the Majestic Theatre to "adequate" reviews, which Julie Andrews credited to off-set production issues and comparisons to My Fair Lady.

In 1963, Julie Andrews began work in the titular role of Disney's musical film Mary Poppins.

Julie Andrews relied largely on instinct for her portrayal, conceptualising her background and giving the character a "particular walk" and a turned-out stance to suit her ladylike sensibility.

Julie Andrews referred to production as "unrelenting" given the physical exertion and technical details, saying that she "could not have asked" for a better introduction to film.

Julie Andrews starred opposite James Garner in the comedy-drama war film The Americanization of Emily.

Julie Andrews took the role partly to avoid typecasting as a nanny.

Julie Andrews was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress in a Leading Role.

Julie Andrews later described it as her favourite film, a sentiment shared by her co-star Garner.

Julie Andrews starred in The Sound of Music, which was the highest-grossing film of its year.

Julie Andrews later said she was "ashamed" to admit that she thought the musical "rather saccharine" before being cast.

Julie Andrews stated she relied on lyrics to anchor her to the film's songs and utilised vocal interpretation to "convey" Maria's character by "[hanging] onto words and the images they conjured".

Julie Andrews was nominated a second time for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress in a Leading Role.

Julie Andrews followed this television appearance with an Emmy Award-winning special, The Julie Andrews Show, which featured Gene Kelly and the New Christy Minstrels as guests.

In 1966, Julie Andrews starred in Hawaii, the highest-grossing film of its year.

Julie Andrews described work on the film as a "pleasant distraction" for "allowing her to be something of a clown", as her stepfather died shortly before filming.

The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and Julie Andrews scored a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

Julie Andrews prerecorded original songs for the film with Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer.

Julie Andrews cited Darling Lili's tepid reviews as being caused by studio marketing and postproduction issues.

Julie Andrews was the first choice to play the English witch Eglantine Price in Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks ; Angela Lansbury was cast.

Between 1973 and 1975, Julie Andrews continued her association with ABC by headlining five variety specials for the network.

Julie Andrews guest-starred on The Muppet Show in 1977, and the following year, she appeared again with the Muppets on a CBS television variety special.

Julie Andrews made only two other films in the 1970s, The Tamarind Seed and 10, both successful at the box office and by critics' reviews.

In February 1980, Julie Andrews headlined "Because We Care", a CBS-TV special with 30 major stars raising funds for Cambodian Famine victims through Operation California.

In 1983, Julie Andrews was chosen as the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year by the Harvard University Theatrical Society.

In 1991, Julie Andrews made her television dramatic debut in the ABC made-for-TV film, Our Sons, co-starring Ann-Margret.

In 2002, Julie Andrews was among the guests at the Queen's Golden Jubilee Hollywood party held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Julie Andrews appears at No 59 on the 2002 poll of the "100 Greatest Britons" sponsored by the BBC and chosen by the British public.

Julie Andrews appeared in The Princess Diaries, her first Disney film since Mary Poppins.

Julie Andrews starred as Queen Clarisse Marie Renaldi and reprised the role in the 2004 sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.

Julie Andrews continued her association with Disney when she appeared as the nanny in two television films based on the Eloise books, a series of children's books by Kay Thompson about a child who lives in the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Eloise at the Plaza premiered in April 2003, and Eloise at Christmastime was broadcast in November 2003; Julie Andrews was nominated for an Emmy Award.

From 2005 to 2006, Julie Andrews served as the Official Ambassador for Disneyland's 18-month-long, 50th-anniversary celebration, the "Happiest Homecoming on Earth", travelling to promote the celebration, recording narration and appearing at several events at the park.

On 17 March 2005, Julie Andrews appeared onstage during the curtain calls for the musical of Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End, where she gave a speech recalling her own memories from making the film and praised the cast for their new interpretation.

In 2004, Julie Andrews voiced Queen Lillian in the animated blockbuster Shrek 2, reprising the role for its sequels, Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After.

Dreams Come True, for Disneyland's 50th anniversary, with Julie Andrews being the host and narrator of the show.

In January 2007, Julie Andrews was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Screen Actors Guild's awards and stated that her goals included continuing to direct for the stage and possibly to produce her own Broadway musical.

Julie Andrews published Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, which she characterised as "part one" of her autobiography, on 1 April 2008.

In January 2009, Julie Andrews was named on The Times' list of the top 10 British Actresses of all time.

On 8 May 2009, Julie Andrews received the honorary George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement in Music at the annual UCLA Spring Sing competition in Pauley Pavilion.

In January 2010, Julie Andrews was the official United States presenter for the Great Performances From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2010 concert.

Julie Andrews had a supporting role in the film Tooth Fairy, which opened to unfavourable reviews although the box office receipts were successful.

On 8 May 2010, Julie Andrews made her London comeback after a 21-year absence.

Julie Andrews performed at The O2 Arena, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and an ensemble of five performers.

On 21 May 2010, her film Shrek Forever After was released; in it Julie Andrews reprises her role as the Queen.

On 9 July 2010, Despicable Me, an animated film in which Julie Andrews lent her voice to Marlena Gru, the thoughtless and soul-crushing mother of the main character Gru, opened to rave reviews and strong box office.

On 28 October 2010, Julie Andrews appeared, along with the actors who portrayed the cinematic von Trapp family members, on Oprah to commemorate the film's 45th anniversary.

In February 2011, Julie Andrews received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and, with her daughter Emma, a Grammy for best spoken-word album for children, at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

Julie Andrews declined, citing a recent surgery and saying she wasn't "ready to go back to work" but "would've loved to have done it".

At the age of 77, Julie Andrews undertook her first tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2013, hosted by Nicholas Hammond who was a boy of 14 when they appeared together in The Sound of Music.

In 2015, Julie Andrews made a surprise appearance at the Oscars, greeting Lady Gaga who paid her homage by singing a medley from The Sound of Music.

In 2016, Andrews created the preschool television series Julie's Greenroom with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton and Judy Rothman.

Julie Andrews is joined by her assistant Gus and "Greenies," a cast of original puppets built by The Jim Henson Company.

In 2017, Julie Andrews reprised her role as Marlena Gru in the second Despicable Me sequel Despicable Me 3.

In 2018, Julie Andrews voiced Karathen, a leviathan, in James Wan's Aquaman.

In 2022, Julie Andrews narrated the film The King's Daughter for Gravitas Ventures.

On 9 June 2022, Julie Andrews was honoured by the American Film Institute with a Lifetime Achievement Award, where she reflected on her career, and had tributes by multiple artists.

Julie Andrews married set designer Tony Walton on 10 May 1959 in Weybridge, Surrey.

Julie Andrews subsequently married director Blake Edwards in 1969, becoming stepmother to his children, Jennifer and Geoffrey.

Julie Andrews is a grandmother to nine and a great-grandmother to three.

At the time, Julie Andrews described her own voice as "extremely high and thin", feeling that it lacked "the necessary guts and weight for opera", preferring musical theatre instead.

Julie Andrews cited this as another reason for avoiding opera.

Julie Andrews admits that she has never recovered from the botched attempt to remove nodules from her vocal cords back in 1997.

In June 2022, Julie Andrews was awarded the AFI Life Achievement Award at a ceremony in Los Angeles after a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2002, Julie Andrews was ranked No 59 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.