Julie Andrews’ best movies and TV shows cement her legacy as an impressive performer. Despite being active in the movie and TV industry since the 1940s, Andrews has only taken on about 50 projects in nearly 70 years. She got her start performing for soldiers as a child alongside her mother and stepfather during World War II. Radio, stage, and TV work followed before she got her first film role at just 17 - voicing an animated character in the English dubbing of an Italian movie. Andrews has performed on nearly every major stage in the world, including in front of Queen Elizabeth and the royal family before being named Dame Julie Andrews in 2000.
Andrews was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979 and became an official Disney Legend in 1991. Andrews is, perhaps, best known for her roles in musicals and family-friendly movies. Because she has been impressively selective in her film and TV roles, each of the roles is performed with a level of care and heart few others have. Her best movie and TV roles are ones that showcase her charm and that extra special something that has made her legendary.
Will Bridgerton’s Narrator Ever Appear On-Screen? Julie Andrews Responds
Julie Andrews, who voices gossip columnist Lady Whistledown in the hit Netflix romance series Bridgerton, addresses whether she’ll appear onscreen.
…lending her voice to the much more adult-orientedBridgertonis a change of pace for her, and a welcome one.
Bridgertonfollows the titular family on their journeys to find love, no matter how much the different siblings will protest that they have actually fallen in love to begin with. Each season makes a different Bridgerton family member the principal character, using familiar romantic comedy tropes and turning them on their head to craft compelling love stories. Along the way, the antics of the Bridgertons and their neighbors are written about in the society gossip sheets that circulate the ton.
Julie Andrews does not appear in the flesh in Bridgerton - at least not in the first three seasons of the show - but she does provide the voice of the show’s narrator.As the mysterious Lady Whistledown, Andrews makes even the most salacious gossip about high society seem classy somehow.She has developed a great career in voice over work, most often for Disney and other animated movies, so lending her voice to the much more adult-orientedBridgertonis a change of pace for her, and a welcome one.
Andrews also narrates the sister seriesQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
The audience can only hope she gets to cameo as another character before the series is finished.
Despicable Meand its minions have created a sprawling animated franchise. In addition to the villains that populate the animated movies and the banana-loving henchmen that provide most of the comic relief, there is a plethora of voice talent in the franchise.
The first movie follows Gru (Steve Carrel) and his super-villain ambitions. When he becomes the guardian of three little girls, however, those supervillain plans end up taking a backseat to caring for them.
Julie Andrews voices Gru’s mother. She appears in other chapters of the franchise as well, but it’s here that Andrews gets the bulk of the character’s arc. She realizes as she takes care of the young girls that she has not treated her son the best in the past.Andrews is able to pull off a caring mother and a stern authority figure with just her voice.
TheShrekfranchise has become known for appealing to both adults and kids thanks to its twist on classic fairytales, its pop culture references, and its tongue-in-cheek humor. While the first movie focuses on a princess falling in love with an ogre and becoming one herself, the second movie expands on the universe, seeing Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Shrek (Mike Myers) introduce their relationship to Fiona’s royal parents.
Shrek 5: Release Date, Cast, Trailer & Everything We Know
The long-gestating Shrek 5 is finally getting underway, and there are already a ton of exciting updates concerning the big green ogre’s return.
Andrews voices Fiona’s mother. She is extremely maternal in this role, believing in her daughter and believing that love will win out.While more of the movie focuses on her husband’s desire to split Fiona and Shrek up than on Lillian, Andrews still does excellent work, balancing being a mom and being eternally regal.Her polished and poised voice has lent itself well to similar roles.
Andrews’ prolific voiceover work even led to her making a voice cameo in the live-actionAquamanmovie as Karathen.
Julie Andrews has the perfect voice for reading fairy tales to an audience. Disney’s classic animated movies often opened with a storybook being read before delving into the actual fairy tale being recreated. Andrews gets to do that very job forEnchanted.
Of course,Enchantedis not exactly a classic Disney movie. Instead, it poses the question of what happens when a princess like the classic Disney characters ends up in the very real world of New York City. Andrews narrates the story of Gisele’s (Amy Adams) adventure. While she is not a huge part of the movie, it is a great addition to her voiceover work.
WhileEnchantedmight not be everyone’s favorite Disney movie,it does a fantastic job at homaging previous Disney properties.There are nods to classics likeSnow White,Cinderella,The Little Mermaid, and more.To have the story narrated by Disney veteran Andrews, who has appeared in family favorites likeMary PoppinsandThe Princess Diaries, is just icing on the cake.
When Julie Andrews appeared inThe Princess Diaries, she was best known for appearing in two other family films, despite them being made decades earlier -The Sound of MusicandMary Poppins. Though she has done more mature roles over the years, she is associated with family-friendly musicals.The Princess Diariesdoes not include her in a musical number, but it does solidify her status as the queen of Disney’s original live-action movies.
The Princess Diariesis inspired by the Meg Cabot novel series of the same name. It sees a teenage girl named Mia (Anne Hathaway) find out that her father was actually a member of the royal family of Genovia. That makes her a princess. Since she is turning 16, it’s time for her to learn all about her heritage and how to be a princess.While Mia has a hard time adjusting, the bonding with her grandmother, Queen Clarisse, is what gives the movie much of its heart.
Andrews is perfectly regal as Clarice, and she would go on to reprise the role in the sequel, and is expected to appear inPrincess Diaries 3if it ever makes it past the development stage of production.
Though Andrews has been working professionally since the 1940s, many of her more iconic roles for the big screen were filmed and released in the 1960s.The Americanization of EmilyandMary Poppinswere both released in 1964, the same year shelost out on the leading role inMy Fair Ladyto Audrey Hepburn.
The Americanization Of Emilyis set during World War II, but with its anti-war message, it caused quite a stir when it hit theaters while America was in the middle of the Vietnam War. Andrews stars as a British woman who falls in love with a member of the US Navy. While he is a military man through and through, she challenges him and his ideas about war, with the script doing the same for the audience.
Andrews' performance, along with the rest of the movie, balances an emotional storyline with the satirical elements criticizing the war.
Anyone interested in tap dance has likely heard ofThoroughly Modern Millie. The Broadway musical features some dizzying dance sequences, and the movie does as well. The musical numbers are certainly a highlight, even if the movie is a little dated by today’s standards.
It follows the titular Millie as she sets out to find a successful job where she can marry her wealthy boss. This is her idea of success in the 1920s as she is someone in between a career woman and a housewife - or at least she wants to be. When she falls for someone, their relationship suffers a few setbacks set to some fantastic Jazz Age inspired sequences.
Andrews was nominated for a Golden Globe forThoroughly Modern Millie.
Though it’s often overlooked by modern audiences,Thoroughly Modern Milliewas a hit at its time, nominated for seven Oscars. Andrews is at the height of her talent, coming off of roles inMary PoppinsandThe Sound of Musichere, and the movie is a very different musical.
Victor/Victoriais often lauded by the LGBTQ+ community for its exploration of gender politics. Setting the movie in 1930s France makes the exploration all the more interesting.
The movie sees Andrews play Victoria, a struggling soprano trying to book jobs. With the help of a friend, she creates a male persona named Victor and auditions as him instead. The more successful Victor becomes, the more complicated Victoria’s own life becomes as near-misses, comedic mishaps, and altogether charming performances pave the way for a Victor/Victoria double life.
Andrews was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe forVictor/Victoria.
Andrews is fantastic in the role. As usual, she is charming, but she is also funny, something she does not always get to play up in her projects as she is often playing the roles who are observing the funnier moments in the story.
The Sound of Musichas inexplicably become a holiday classic. Though the movie is not a Christmas movie, it traditionally gets a lot of TV broadcast time during the holiday season when it is more likely that families will gather around the television and watch it together.
Set during the events of World War II, The Sound of Music follows a nun named Maria (Andrews) as she is sent to nanny the Von Trapp children, who have managed to scare away every governess they have had since their mother died. Maria is seen as a “problem” by her other nuns because she is just a little too energetic, singing while out in the hills and forgetting her place during conversations among her superiors. Sending her to be a governess is as much to teach her a lesson as it is to help the children.
Andrews was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe forThe Sound of Music.
The movie is Andrews at her best with her charming and kind nature on full display as Maria. She also gets to sing some of the most iconic songs of her career.In addition to being a family musical, the movie is also a rom-com as Maria and the father of the children fall in love, so the movie has something for everyone.
Is The Sound Of Music Based On A True Story? Real-Life Inspiration Explained
The Sound of Music film was adapted from a stage musical inspired by Maria von Trapp’s memoir. It’s based on real life, but with creative liberties.
Yes, it is true that both of Andrews’ most iconic roles (and her best movies) involve her playing someone who looks after trouble-making children. Here, she is the titular Mary Poppins, a magical nanny who flies in on the wind with the help of her umbrella when a family is in need. She is tasked with getting the Banks children to follow the rules, but also to get the entire Banks family to understand that their imaginations have no limits.
Andrews won an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA forMary Poppins.
Andrews’ work as Mary Poppins is so beloved that when Disney adapted the story for a Broadway musical, some Disney fans were against the idea.They were also against the idea ofEmily Blunt taking on the roleof the iconic character for a sequel movie decades later. Both projects, however, have been successful, largely because of the groundwork laid by Andrews in how the character is portrayed.Mary is slightly mysterious, incredibly fun, and creative, but she is also someone who is not to be trifled with.
Julie Andrews made Mary Poppins one of Disney’s most loved characters and the movie is the best of her career.
