Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews began performing onstage with her parents in 1945 and made her professional solo debut at the London Hippodrome in 1947, singing the aria "Je suis Titania" from Mignon in the musical revue Starlight Roof. In 1948, she became the youngest solo performer to appear in the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium. Her early stage credits included Aladdin, Humpty Dumpty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. From 1950 to 1952, she appeared on the BBC radio comedy show Up the Pole and was a cast member of Educating Archie. She made her television debut on RadiOlympia Showtime in 1949 and voiced Princess Zeila in the English-language version of the animated film The Singing Princess (1952), her first film credit.

Andrews made her Broadway debut as Polly Browne in The Boy Friend on September 30, 1954. In 1955, she starred opposite Bing Crosby in the television film High Tor. In 1956, she originated the role of Eliza Doolittle in the Broadway production of My Fair Lady, which opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 15. She played the role for two years before appearing in the West End production in 1957. That year, she starred as Cinderella in the live television musical Cinderella, written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, earning an Emmy Award nomination. She also released her debut solo album, The Lass with the Delicate Air, in 1957. From 1956 to 1962, Andrews appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, What's My Line?, The Jack Benny Program, The Bell Telephone Hour and The Garry Moore Show. In 1960, she starred as Queen Guinevere in the Broadway musical Camelot, opposite Richard Burton and Robert Goulet. In 1962, she appeared alongside Carol Burnett in the television special Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall.

Andrews made her feature film debut in Mary Poppins (1964), playing the title character in the Disney musical. Her performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. She and her co-stars also won the Grammy Award for Best Album for Children in 1965. In 1964, she starred opposite James Garner in The Americanization of Emily, earning a BAFTA Award nomination for Best British Actress in a Leading Role. She followed this with The Sound of Music (1965), playing Maria von Trapp opposite Christopher Plummer. The film became the highest-grossing movie of 1965, and Andrews won a second Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. She also received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress in a Leading Role. In 1965, she appeared on The Andy Williams Show and starred in the television special The Julie Andrews Show, which won an Emmy Award.

In 1966, Andrews starred in Hawaii and Alfred Hitchcock's Torn Curtain, opposite Paul Newman. The following year, she played the title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. She subsequently starred in Star! (1968), portraying performer Gertrude Lawrence, and Darling Lili (1970), opposite Rock Hudson. Both films earned her Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. Her other film credits during this period included The Tamarind Seed (1974) and 10 (1979). On television, she appeared in An Evening with Julie Andrews and Harry Belafonte (1969), the Walt Disney World Grand Opening Special (1971) and Julie and Carol at Lincoln Center (1971). From 1972 to 1973, she starred in the ABC variety series The Julie Andrews Hour, which won seven Emmy Awards. Between 1973 and 1975, she headlined five additional variety specials for ABC. She also appeared on The Muppet Show in 1977 and starred in the television special Julie Andrews: One Step Into Spring in 1978.

Andrews starred in Little Miss Marker (1980), followed by Blake Edwards' S.O.B. (1981). In 1982, she played dual roles as Victoria Grant and Count Victor Grezhinski in Victor/Victoria, reuniting with James Garner. Her performance earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In 1983, she starred opposite Burt Reynolds in The Man Who Loved Women. Her subsequent films included That's Life! and Duet for One (both 1986), earning her further Golden Globe nominations. In 1987, she starred in the ABC Christmas special Julie Andrews: The Sound of Christmas, which won five Emmy Awards. In 1989, she reunited with Carol Burnett for a television variety special on ABC.

In 1991, Andrews made her television dramatic debut in the film Our Sons, co-starring Ann-Margret. In 1992, she starred in the ABC sitcom Julie, which ran for seven episodes, and hosted the NBC holiday special Christmas in Washington. In 1993, she appeared in the American premiere of Stephen Sondheim's revue Putting It Together at Manhattan Theatre Club. She recorded two solo albums in 1994 and 1995, featuring music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, respectively. In 1995, she returned to Broadway in the musical Victor/Victoria, which opened at the Marquis Theatre on October 25 before touring internationally. She received a Tony Award nomination for the production but declined it.

In 1998, Andrews appeared in the London stage production of Dr. Dolittle, providing the voice of Polynesia the parrot. She reunited with James Garner in the television film One Special Night (1999). In 2001, she starred as Queen Clarisse Renaldi in Disney's The Princess Diaries and appeared with Christopher Plummer in the live television adaptation of On Golden Pond. She reprised her role as Queen Clarisse in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). In 2003, she starred in the television films Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime, earning an Emmy Award nomination. That year, she made her stage-directing debut with a revival of The Boy Friend at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, New York. The production was remounted at Goodspeed Opera House in 2005 and toured nationally in 2006.

Andrews voiced Queen Lillian in Shrek 2 (2004), reprising the role in Shrek the Third (2007) and Shrek Forever After (2010). She narrated the Disney film Enchanted (2007) and portrayed Mary Poppins again in the 2004 video release The Cat That Looked at a King. In 2010, she appeared in the film Tooth Fairy and voiced Marlena Gru in Despicable Me. She reprised Queen Lillian in Shrek Forever After the same year. In 2013, she undertook a speaking tour of Australia and New Zealand, followed by a tour of England in 2014. She directed a stage adaptation of The Great American Mousical at Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris Theatre in 2012 and directed a second production at Legacy Theatre in Connecticut in 2024.

In 2016, Andrews co-created the preschool television series Julie's Greenroom with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton and Judy Rothman. The series premiered on Netflix in 2017. That year, she reprised her role as Marlena Gru in Despicable Me 3. In 2018, she voiced Karathen in the film Aquaman. Beginning in 2020, she voiced Lady Whistledown, the narrator of the Netflix period drama series Bridgerton. In 2022, she narrated the film The King's Daughter and reprised her role as Gru's mother in Minions: The Rise of Gru. In 2023, she appeared in the television specials Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love and Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic. Andrews won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for Bridgerton's third season in 2025 and received the same award for the fourth season in 2026. In August 2026, she stated that she had retired from on-screen acting while continuing to work on books, podcasts and voiceovers.