Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Julie Andrews
#10: Her First Professional Role
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Even from an early age, Julie Andrews was a certified show-stealer. At 12 years old, Andrews made her professional stage debut at the London Hippodrome where she performed in the musical revue, “Starlight Roof.” Although impresario Val Parnell had his doubts about including such a young performer, a star was born in October of 1947. Singing “Je suis" from “Mignon” as the show’s first act drew to its close, Andrews had the entire crowd going wild. As Andrews recalled, her song “literally stopped the show.” The press couldn’t have been more ecstatic about her debut,with the Stage writing, “Julie Andrews, the youthful prima donna, is fully entitled to her remarkable reception for some beautiful singing.”
#9: She’s Besties with Carol Burnett
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Before these two ladies broke out into mainstream popularity, they made for a pitch perfect odd couple in “Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall.” This landmark television event was the first of three specials that Andrews and Burnett headlined together. One of the reasons Andrews and Burnett have a natural onscreen rapport is because they’re such close friends in real life. Burnett is notably the godmother of Emma Walton Hamilton, Andrews’ first child with ex-husband Tony Walton. Andrews and Burnett also shared a passionate kiss at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Inaugural Gala. This led some to speculate they may be more than just friends, although their smooch was part of a prank they were playing on Mike Nichols, who worked on their first variety special.
#8: She’s a Tony Away from an EGOT
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Believe it or not, a Tony is one the few awards that isn’t on Andrews’ shelf. That being said, Andrews has accumulated an assortment of accolades throughout her esteemed career. For her work in “Mary Poppins,” Andrews won an Academy Award and her first Grammy. She’d go on to receive another Grammy in 2011, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award. Andrews is no stranger to the Primetime Emmys either, picking up two statuettes for “The Julie Andrews Hour” and “Broadway: The American Musical.” As for Tonys, Andrews was nominated for her performances in “My Fair Lady,” “Camelot,” and “Victor/Victoria,” but has never won. Of course, Andrews actually turned down her “Victor/Victoria” nomination, feeling that the rest of the cast deserved more recognition.
#7: Her Stepfather’s Influence
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Andrews was born Julia Elizabeth Wells on October 1, 1935. She started going by Julie Andrews, however, after her mother married her stepfather, Ted Andrews. Julie’s relationship with her mother’s second husband was complicated to say the least. In addition to being brought up in a poor household, Julie recalls her stepfather being a violent drunk who – while inebriated – tried getting into bed with her on two occasions. This encouraged Julie to put a lock on her door. Yet, Ted Andrews also took notice in his stepdaughter’s signing talents and got her foot in the door with Val Parnell. Julie subsequently became the true breadwinner in her family, helping to bring up her younger siblings while missing out on much of her own childhood.
#6: She Adopted Two Daughters with Blake Edwards
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Emma Walton Hamilton is Andrews’ only biological daughter, but she adopted two more with her second husband, Blake Edwards, who already had 2 children from a previous marriage. Five years after tying the knot, Andrews and Edwards decided to adopt Amy Leigh, a two-month-old who had been orphaned in Vietnam. About a year later, they adopted five-month-old Joanna Lynne, another Vietnamese orphan in need of a home. The couple had wanted to have children together for a while and with the Vietnam War reaching its final curtain, the two figured they should adopt while there was still time. Once Joanna arrived in 1975, Andrews decided to take a brief break from performing to spend time with her family. Discussing her new children in 1977, Andrews said, “It's been wonderful to watch two pale, sad-eyed creatures blossom.”
#5: She Was a Disney World Host
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Walt Disney himself sadly passed away before the Walt Disney World Resort opened its gates. A cavalcade of talent did come together to promote the event, though, including Bob Hope, Rock Hudson, and Mary Poppins herself, Julie Andrews. As part of a television special for the grand opening, Andrews performed classic Disney tunes such as “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” and “It’s a Small World” throughout the park. She also gave a quick shout out to one of her defining songs, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Fittingly enough, Andrews’ birthday is October 1, which is the same day Walt Disney World opened in 1971. For the park’s 50th anniversary, Andrews was named the official ambassador for the Happiest Homecoming On Earth.
#4: She Almost Turned Down “The Sound of Music”
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Having already played one musically-inclined nanny, Andrews was initially reluctant to play Maria von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” especially since she wasn’t that impressed with the stage version. Director Robert Wise, associate producer Saul Chaplin, and her agent Arthur Park fortunately motivated Andrews to accept, as Maria became one of her most iconic characters. Andrews found herself in a similar position when she was given the chance to play Eglantine Price in “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.” By the time Andrews started coming around to the idea, though, Angela Lansbury had already been cast. Andrews was also offered a cameo in “Mary Poppins Returns,” but declined as to not overshadow her successor, Emily Blunt. Although Andrews opted out, Lansbury did pop up to pass the balloon.
#3: Her Life-Changing Throat Surgery
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Not long before “Victor/Victoria” wrapped up on stage, Andrews was given no choice but to prematurely leave the show due to a vocal cord strain. In 1997, she checked into Mount Sinai Hospital to have her non-cancerous nodules surgically removed. Although she regained her speaking voice, the throat surgery tragically deprived Andrews of her ability to sing and the musical world has never been the same since. She subsequently filed a malpractice suit against her doctors, who allegedly didn’t specify the surgery’s risks. Although her range was forever restricted, Andrews would publically sing again for the first time in “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.” The song in question was a duet with Raven-Symoné entitled “Your Crowning Glory.”
#2: She Was the Original Eliza Doolittle
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Since Andrews originated the role of Eliza Doolittle on Broadway, you’d think she would’ve been a natural choice for the screen adaptation of “My Fair Lady.” Although the studio cast her Broadway co-star, Rex Harrison, Andrews was denied the chance to reprise her role. Due to her lack of screen credits, Jack L. Warner felt that Andrews couldn’t sell the picture and he wasn’t the first studio executive who deemed her “unfilmable.” The role thus went to Audrey Hepburn, but her voice was dubbed by legendary ghost singer Marni Nixon. When the press learned of the dubbing, it sparked a backlash that arguably cost Hepburn an Oscar nomination. The same year the Academy snubbed Hepburn, the awards season winds ironically blew in Andrews’ favor.
#1: Getting Discovered by Walt Disney
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While Warner felt that Andrews wasn’t a bankable star, Walt Disney knew that she was practically perfect to play Mary Poppins after seeing her in “Camelot.” Andrews was hesitant when Disney approached her since she was three months pregnant at the time, but Walt knew she was worth waiting for. Andrews’ feature film debut won her a Golden Globe, beating out her friend Hepburn. During her acceptance speech, Andrews cheekily thanked Jack Warner for passing on her. Andrews of course went on to win the Best Actress Oscar, although she initially feared it was a pity victory brought on by the “My Fair Lady” controversy. She kept her Oscar in the attic for years as a result. Now, however, it’s the centerpiece of her office.
