Eternal Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews is much more than this character who made her famous. At 87, the iconic actress continues to work… but no longer in front of the cameras!
It is a legendary role in cinema. In the 1960s, Julie Andrews made herself known to the general public by playing Mary Poppins, a character that even won her an Oscar. If the actress is mainly known for this emblematic film, she has never been idle in her life. After a long film career in front of the cameras, she has become more present behind the microphones in recent years. Spectators have indeed heard it in several big productions like Shrek, Me, ugly and wicked or even Princess despite herself. In addition to having published his memoirs entitled Home Work, a Memoir of my Hollywood YearsJulie Andrew also created a podcast with her daughter and lent her voice to Lady Whistledown, the narrator of the series The Chronicles of Bridgerton, on Netflix.
In recent years, Julie Andrews has also diversified. In addition to her career as an actress and dubber of many cinematographic sagas, she writes books for children. In parallel with her careers, she is also an ambassador for Unicef and a fervent defender of the cause of women in Third World countries. And the eternal Mary Poppins wants to get rid of this image. This is also why she refused to appear in the second opus, which she nevertheless watched. “The film was made 50, 60 years ago. I think it’s time to accept the existence of a second opus. Not to mention that there is not much like the first , she told Variety. It’s not like they rewrote history. There were still plenty of PL Travers books to tap into, so they did another adaptation.”
Julie Andrews ‘not as nice as Mary Poppins’
A prolific actress, successful singer on Broadway, but also a well-known voice-over artist and late-life author, Julie Andrews is a true icon. “Over time, I believe that we are more able to appreciate the arc of a trajectory and the diversity of the choices of an actor. I still hope that the public does not really believe that I am also nice and smooth as Maria (her character in The Sound of Music) and Mary Poppins!”she summed up a few years ago. Widowed since the death of her husband, Julie Andrews had paid a beautiful tribute to Elizabeth II after her death. “A page of history has been turned today. Along with millions of others, I mourn the passing of our beloved Queen Elizabeth II, she wrote. It’s as if we’ve lost a friend: a devoted monarch who inspired us all with her love, wisdom and grace.”