Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews has been a beloved and much-honored star of stage, screen, and television for more than half a century. She was already a Broadway legend when she made her feature film debut in 1964’s Mary Poppins. Andrews’ iconic performance in the title role brought her an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award.  The following year, she earned a second Oscar nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her unforgettable portrayal of Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music. She received her third Academy Award nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her “dual” role in Victor/Victoria.

Young film audiences may be more familiar with Andrews from the hit films, The Princess Diaries, and its sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement. She has also added to her multi-generational appeal by lending her voice to Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Shrek Goes Fourth, Disney’s Enchanted, and Despicable Me.

Andrews was born and raised in England, where she first came to fame as a young musical performer on stage and on radio. She was still in her teens when she made her 1953 Broadway debut in the musical “The Boy Friend.” She went on to create the role of Eliza Doolittle in Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady,” which became an instant classic. Other titles include “Camelot” and “Victor/Victoria,” as well as a director’s credit for the revival of “The Boy Friend.”

Andrews has also been honored for her work on television, beginning in 1957 with her Emmy-nominated performance in the title role of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical “Cinderella.” She later won an Emmy Award for her own musical variety series, “The Julie Andrews Hour,” and also earned Emmy nominations for “Julie and Carol at Lincoln Center” (with her “chum” Carol  Burnett) and her performance in the special “Sounds of Christmas.”

Already an accomplished bestselling author, Andrews has joined talents with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, to pursue the publishing of books committed to stimulating a sense of wonder in children and young readers, releasing over 35 books to date. In October 2012, Andrews adapted and directed her best-selling children’s book The Great American Mousical as a musical for the stage.

In addition to her stage and screen work, Andrews has dedicated her life to her family and to serving important causes, including international relief organization Operation USA. From 1992 to 2006 she was honored as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which provides financial and technical support for low-income women in developing countries.

Andrews received her honours as a Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on New Year’s Eve 1999. She was also a 2001 Kennedy Center Honoree.

She voices the role of Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton and reads the works of Jane Austen in the podcast Jane Austin Stories. A documentary about her life will be released in 2027.