Julie Andrews, DBE (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; October 1st 1935)
Julie Andrews is an English actress best known for her roles in 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music'.
Julie Andrews: Net worth
Julie Andrews has a net worth of $45 million (Celebrity Net Worth).
Julie Andrews: Childhood
Julie Andrews was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Her mother was Barbara Ward Wells but Barbara's husband, metalwork teacher Ted Wells, was not her biological father. They split during World War II and Julie lived with Ted Wells for a short while before moving in with her mother.
Her family struggled with lack of money and her stepfather Ted Andrews was an aggressive alcoholic who twice tried to get into bed with Julie. When their financial situation improved, she studied performing arts at the Cone-Ripman School and had singing lessons from Madame Lilian Stiles-Allen. She later attended Woodbrook School.
Julie Andrews: Career
Julie Andrews began her stage career performing alongside her mother and stepfather. She then went solo at the London Hippodrome for a year for their 'Starlight Roof' musical revue. She later performed in the Royal Command Variety Performance for King George VI.
As a teenager, she began making radio and TV appearances as well as performing in the West End in shows such as 'Aladdin', 'Humpty Dumpty', 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Cinderella'.
She made her Broadway debut as Polly Browne in 'The Boy Friend' after which she landed a role in 'My Fair Lady'. She also appeared alongside Bing Crosby in 'High Tor'; a film credited with being the first made-for-TV movie. She reprised her 'Cinderella' role in a 1957 TV musical for which she was nominated an Emmy.
In 1963, Julie landed the lead role in Disney's 'Mary Poppins' opposite Dick Van Dyke, a venture which became a worldwide phenomenon and earned her an Academy Award. She played a strict nanny with an air of magical mystery.
The following year, she appeared with James Garner in 'The Americanization of Emily' and followed that up with 20th Century Fox's biggest hit 'The Sound of Music' in which she played a nanny once again, though with a softer personality.
1966, saw her in 'Hawaii' with Max von Sydow and Alfred Hitchcock's 'Torn Curtain' with Paul Newman.
Julie Andrews made a lot of TV appearances during the 60s including 'The Andy Williams Show' and NBC-TV special 'An Evening with Julie Andrews and Harry Belafonte', and she even had her own Emmy winning variety series called 'The Julie Andrews Hour'. In 1977, she made a guest appearance on 'The Muppet Show' and only featured in two feature films during that decade: 'The Tamarind Seed' and '10'.
In 1981, she got much attention for flashing her breasts in Blake Edwards' comedy film 'S.O.B.'. The following year, she re-united with James Garner in the movie 'Victor Victoria' in which she played two roles. The release landed her her third Oscar nomination. She re-visited the roles in the 1995 stage run of the film, though the tour was cut short when she developed vocal hoarseness.
In 1983, she co-starred with Burt Reynolds in 'The Man Who Loved Women', following that up with 'That's Life!' and 'Duet for One' in '86.
She returned to television with ABC Christmas special 'Julie Andrews: The Sound Of Christmas' which won five Emmy Awards. She made her TV drama debut in 'Our Sons' opposite Ann-Margret in 1991.
She landed her first sitcom role in 1992 with 'Julie', though it was only a short-lived series.
The mid-nineties saw her release two albums in honour of Richard Rodgers and Alan Jay Lerner respectively.
In 2000, she was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.
The following year she appeared alongside Anne Hathaway in 'The Princess Diaries', a role which she reprised in 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'.
She played a nanny once again in 'Eloise at the Plaza' and 'Eloise at Christmastime' for which she was nominated for another Emmy. She also directed the new stage version of 'The Boy Friend'.
In 2004, 2007 and 2010, she provided the voice of Queen Lillian in 'Shrek 2', 'Shrek the Third' and 'Shrek Forever After'.
In 2008, she released her autobiography 'Home' and hosted 'Julie Andrews' The Gift of Music' where she toured the US.
2010, saw her appear alongside Dwayne Johnson in 'Tooth Fairy' which was poorly reviewed. During promotion, she endorsed Operation USA and the campaigns to help victims of the Haiti disaster. That year she also released her 23rd book, 'The Very Fairy Princess', which became a best-seller. She also voiced Marlena, Gru's mother, in the animation favourite 'Despicable Me'.
Julie Andrews: Personal life
Julie Andrews was 23 when she married her first husband Tony Walton in 1959. They later had a daughter called Emma Katherine Walton.
Their divorce in 1967 was followed by her marriage to Blake Edwards, with whom she remained until his death in 2010. The pair adopted two girls named Amy and Joanna.
During a Broadway run in 1997, she suffered from vocal hoarseness which led her to have surgery at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital.
However, following the surgery, her voice became permanently damaged and she later filed a lawsuit when it became clear that the clarity of her singing voice would never return.
Biography by Contactmusic.com
