Julie Andrews Is 91! Look Back at the Beloved Star’s Life and Career as She Celebrates Her Birthday Today

Andrea Wurzburger, Sophie Dodd, Stephanie SengweThu, October 1, 2026 at 2:47 PM UTC

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Julie AndrewsCredit: Zoe Dominic /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Born on Oct. 1, 1935 in Surrey, England, Julie Andrews began performing from a young age with her mother and stepfather, who were both Vaudeville performers.

The rest, as they say, is history. In the years since, she’s played beloved characters in endless films and Broadway shows, picking up a host of awards along the way.

Here, on her 91st birthday, celebrate the life and career of Julie Andrews.

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Julie Andrews’ Early Years

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In 1948, when she was just 13 years old, Andrews became the youngest solo performer to appear on stage at the Royal Variety Show, where she sang for King George VI.

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Julie Andrews as Cinderella

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Andrews, 18, rehearsing to play the lead role in Cinderella at the London Palladium pantomime.

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Julie Andrews on Broadway

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By 19, she was making her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend ... but not without plenty of practice! Here, she works on her ballet outside in April 1954.

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Julie Andrews in ‘My Fair Lady’

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In 1956, Andrews returned to Broadway to play Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady.

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Julie Andrews as Cinderella

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Andrews gave a royally good reading of the Cinderella script in front of famed composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein at the CBS Television presentation of their musical in 1957.

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Julie Andrews as Cinderella

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Andrews had a regal look about her long before we knew her as the Queen of Genovia. Here, she pouts in a tulle ballgown while playing the part of Cinderella.

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Julie Andrews and Tony Walton

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In May 1959, Andrews married her first husband, Tony Walton, in Weybridge, England, and looked every bit the fairytale princess she always seems to portray. The couple split in 1968.

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Julie Andrews Becomes a Mother

Julie AndrewsCredit: Bettman

Before the split, Andrews and Walton welcomed daughter Emma Walton Hamilton in 1962. The actress would go on to adopt two more daughters with her second husband, Blake Edwards. And while Andrews and Emma have worked together on several projects, Amy Leigh and Joanne Lynne Edwards prefer to stay out of the spotlight.

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Julie Andrews in ‘Camelot’

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In 1960, Andrews starred in the Broadway production of Camelot, as Guinevere, earning herself a Tony Award nomination for best lead actress in a musical.

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Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett

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Andrews and her longtime best friend, famed comedian Carol Burnett, performed together on a number of occasions, including for their 1962 CBS comedy special, Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall.

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Julie Andrews in ‘The Sound of Music’

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Andrews showed off her dramatic range in 1965 when she was cast alongside the late Christopher Plummer as Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, a departure from her earlier lighthearted musical roles. Her portrayal earned her a Golden Globe for best actress.

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Julie Andrews Wins an Oscar

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In 1965, Andrews won an Oscar for her role in Mary Poppins. The year before, she had been passed up for the lead role in the movie adaptation of My Fair Lady, which went to Audrey Hepburn, pictured.

Andrews also took home a Golden Globe for her performance, as well. In fact, Andrews even thanked Jack Warner for not casting her in My Fair Lady in her acceptance speech.

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Julie Andrews’ Oscar Nominations

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Andrews would go on to be nominated for two more Oscars, both for Best Actress, in 1966 and 1983. In 1966, she was nominated for her performance in The Sound of Music and in 1983, she was nominated for Victor/Victoria.

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Julie Andrews in ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’

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Elegant as ever, Andrews portrayed the funny and feisty flapper Millie Dillmount in 1967’s Thoroughly Modern Millie.

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Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards

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Here with second husband Blake Edwards, whom she wed in 1969 and remained married to until his death in 2010.

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Julie Andrews at Walt Disney World

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Of course Mary Poppins herself was there for the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971!

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Julie Andrews in a Portrait

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We think she deserves an Oscar for best outfits.

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‘The Julie Andrews Hour’

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In between filming movies, Andrews held court on The Julie Andrews Hour, which ran from 1972 to 1973 and earned her an Emmy for outstanding variety show.

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‘The Julie Andrews Hour’

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Everything about this outfit is a delight — much like the actress herself. Here, she’s seen performing on her variety show, which featured a number of famous guests and her own musical medleys.

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‘The Julie Andrews Hour’

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The only downside of The Julie Andrews Hour was, of course, that it lasted but an hour.

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Julie Andrews Meets Queen Elizabeth II

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When our queen met The Queen! Andrews was introduced toQueen Elizabeth II at the 1977 Silver Jubilee Royal Variety Gala, where she performed.

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Julie Andrews Wins an Emmy

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Andrews has been nominated for 10 Emmys — including two nods for her voiceover performance in Bridgerton — and has taken home two.

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Julie Andrews Gets a Star on the Walk of Fame

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Andrews’ star status was cemented — literally — at the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979.

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Julie Andrews Becomes a Dame

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For her undisputed contributions to the arts, Julie Andrews was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000.

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Julie Andrews, Queen of Genovia

Julie Andrews in ‘The Princess Diaries’Credit: Photo 12/Alamy

At the turn of the new millennium, Andrews continued to work, delivering a royally unforgettable portrayal of Queen Clarisse Renaldi in The Princess Diaries films. The movie was greenlit for a third installment, and after much speculation, Andrews confirmed she won’t be in it.

“I think the story is slightly different, and I’m not quite sure how they’re dealing with that. But it’s too late for me to do it. I think the story has to continue in Princess Mia. It’s her story. It’s not really mine,” she revealed in an Aug. 10 interview with TODAY.com.

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Julie Andrews Today

Julie Andrews in 2023Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty

More than 70 years into her career, Julie Andrews continues to prove she is one of the best to ever grace the stage, screens and everything in between. On Sept. 6, 2026 the actress received the Emmy for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance category at the 76th Creative Arts Emmy Awards for her role in Bridgerton.

The win came weeks after she announced she’s retired from on-screen acting. “I think the absolute truth is that I think I’m really past all that now,” she told The Hollywood Reporterwhile promoting the children’s book Shy she wrote with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. “I’m not completely retired, but it’s a different kind of work that I do these days — [writing] books, and I do a lot of recording of podcasts and voiceovers.”

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