Julie Andrews
English actress, singer, and director.
Dame Julie Andrews is an English actress, singer, and director. Known for her performances on stage and screen, she has received several accolades including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, seven Golden Globe Awards, two Grammy Awards, and three Primetime Emmy Awards as well as a nomination for three Tony Awards. She has been honored with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001, the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion in 2019, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2022. Andrews started her career on stage making her Broadway debut in the musical The Boy Friend (1954) earning a Theater World Award. She gained her breakthrough for her role as Eliza Doolittle in the Lerner and Loewe musical My Fair Lady (1957) for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. On film, she made her debut portraying the title role in the Walt Disney family fantasy film Mary Poppins (1964) for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She portrayed Maria von Trapp in the musical epic The Sound of Music (1965) earning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress.
- field
- Actress, singer, and director
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Mary Poppins (1964), The Sound of Music (1965), My Fair Lady (1957), Camelot (19
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Andrews gained her breakthrough for her role as Eliza Doolittle in the Lerner and Loewe musical My Fair Lady (1957) for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She continued to gain acclaim and Tony-award nominations for her portrayals of Queen Guinevere in the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot (1961), and Victoria Grant in the Blake Edwards musical Victor/Victoria (1996). The later of which earned her the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. She acted in the off-Broadway Stephen Sondheim revue Putting It Together (1993) for which she earned an Outer Critics Circle Award as well as a nomination for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. On television, she gained national prominence for playing the title role in the CBS live staging of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Cinderella (1957) for which she was nominated for the Best Single Performance – Lead or Supporting Actress. She hosted the ABC variety series The Julie Andrews Hour (1972–1973), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series. She played a kind Nanny in the family Christmas film Eloise at Christmastime (2003) for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. She currently portrays Lady Whistledown in the Netflix costume romance series Bridgerton (2020–present) and Queen Charlotte (2023), for which she's received four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance, winning once.
Reader's Guide
Andrews earned a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979, and received the Disney Legend in 1991 for her work on Mary Poppins. She has also won accolades from the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Laurel Awards, People's Choice Awards, and Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. She has received many honorary degrees in recognition of her distinguished career in entertainment. These include: 1970: University of Maryland – Doctor of Fine Arts; 1999: Yale University – Doctor of Fine Arts; 2012: Stony Brook University – Doctor of Letters. Andrews declined the Tony nomination for her role in Victor/Victoria, citing she felt the rest of the company had been overlooked.
Did You Know?
- Andrews made her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend (1954) and earned a Theater World Award.
- She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her film debut in Mary Poppins (1964).
- Andrews hosted The Julie Andrews Hour (1972–1973) and won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series.
- She has received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte, winning once.
- Andrews declined her Tony nomination for Victor/Victoria (1996) because she felt the rest of the company had been overlooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Julie Andrews?
Julie Andrews is an English actress, singer, author, and theater director born on 1 October 1935 in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. She became one of the most recognizable entertainers of the 1960s through her work on Broadway and in Hollywood musicals.
What is Julie Andrews most famous for?
She is best known for playing the title role in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins (1964) and for starring as Maria in The Sound of Music (1965). Her major Broadway credits also include Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Queen Guinevere in Camelot.
Did Julie Andrews win an Academy Award?
Yes, she won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Mary Poppins in 1964. She also took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for The Sound of Music the following year.
What was Julie Andrews's breakthrough role?
Her Broadway debut as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady in 1956 launched her career and made her a star on the stage. That success led directly to her film debut as Mary Poppins in 1964.
Was Julie Andrews born in England?
Yes, she was born Julia Elizabeth Wells in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, on 1 October 1935. She has remained an English national throughout her career spanning theater, film, and writing.
More in Actors & Filmmakers 1-17
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record