Julie Andrews

Dame Julie Andrews, DBE (born October 1, 1935) Julie Andrews is still best-known for her roles as "Mary Poppins" in the film of that name (1964), and "Maria von Trapp" in the Sound of Music (1965). Born Julia Elizabeth Wells in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, on October 1, 1935, she made her stage debut at the age of 12, in London's West End. Radio and stage successes, including her performance in a London Palladium production of Cinderella when she was 20, led her to Broadway, where she starred in The Boyfriend (1954), My Fair Lady (1956) and Camelot (1960). She lost the lead role in the film version of My Fair Lady to Audrey Hepburn, and, instead was tapped for the Disney musical, Mary Poppins -- a role which brought her that year's Academy Award for Best Actress. She was also nominated for the Oscar the next year for her role in The Sound of Music. She was voted the world's most popular star, but suffered from type-casting, and for some time was given very little opportunity to perform on the big screen. Her husband, director Blake Edwards, helped to change that by casting her in several of his own films, such as Darling Lily (1970), 10 (1979), S.O.B. (1981), Victor/Victoria (1982), and That's Life (1986). Later films include Relative Values (2000) and Princess Diaries (2001), as well as the voice of "Fiona's" mother, the Queen, in the animated film, Shrek 2 (2004). Among Andrews' forays into television were much-acclaimed specials, including one that she made with Carol Burnett in 1971, Julie and Carol at Lincoln Center, and an Emmy-winning show, The Julie Andrews Hour (1972). In 2001, she reteamed with Christopher Plummer, her co-star from The Sound of Music, in a TV adaptation of On Golden Pond. In 1995, Andrews returned to Broadway after 35 years to star in the stage adaptation of Victor/Victoria, which was written and directed by Edwards. When, in spite of rave reviews, she was the only cast member nominated for a Tony Award that year, she declined the nomination. Andrews became Dame Julie Andrews in 2000, when Queen Elizabeth II named her a Dame of the British Empire (DBE) in the New Years Honors. In 2001, Andrews was honored by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She also appears in the 2002 List of "100 Great Britons" sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public. Andrews has written several children's books, under the name Julie Andrews Edwards, including, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles.