Julie Andrews: Legendary soprano’s movies, age, children and all you need to know

18 December 2023, 15:29

Julie Andrews is a living legend in the world of music, film and theatre – but how old is she, has she been married, and what projects has she worked on during her nearly 80-year career?

Dame Julie Andrews is a legendary soprano close to all of our hearts, and from acting to singing to her musical theatre roots, she has made an indelible mark on the industry in her seven-decade career.

She has become best known for her classic film roles such as The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins, as well as her success on Broadway and her childhood debut on the West End.

Here is everything you need to know about Julie Andrews, from her age to her children to those iconic movie and theatre roles…

Read more: Heartwarming moment Julie Andrews is serenaded with ‘Do-Re-Mi’ by Von Trapp child actors

Julie Andrew arrives for AFI Life Achievement Award Gala

How old is Julie Andrews?

Musical icon Julie Andrews was born on 1 October 1935, making her 88 years of age. She was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

Her career dates back to 1945, meaning she’s been active in film, music and theatre for an astonishing 77 years.

Does Julie Andrews have children and has she been married?

Julie Andrews has five children and has been married twice. She shares one biological daughter with her first husband Tony Walton, and has two step-children and two adoptive children from her marriage to Blake Edwards.

She spoke about her large family with The Australian Women’s Weekly during the 50th anniversary celebration of The Sound of Music. “Besides being a stepmother, I’m an adoptive mother, too,” Andrews said. “I have my natural-born daughter and Blake’s two children, and then we adopted two children… can you imagine the hodge-podge?”

The star married set designer Tony Walton in 1959, they welcomed their daughter Emma Walton Hamilton in 1962, making her 59 at the time of writing.

Read more: The time 13-year-old Julie Andrews sang the national anthem for the King and Queen

Emma has gone on to follow in her parents’ entertainment footsteps and forged a career as a children’s book author, theatrical director, and actress.

In 1969 Julie married legendary director Blake Edwards, who is behind iconic films Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Pink Panther. Upon their marriage, she gained step-daughter Jennifer Edwards and step-son Geoffrey Edwards.

Julie and Blake adopted two more daughters, Amy and Joanna, in 1974 and 1975 respectively. The pair remained together until Blake’s passing in 2012.

What films has Julie Andrews been in?

Julie boasts an extraordinarily eclectic filmography that spans many genres, from Disney classics to romantic comedies.

The 86-year-old star is best known for her magical portrayal of the titular character in Mary Poppins in 1964, and as Maria the following year in The Sound of Music.

Younger audiences will recognise the soprano as the beloved Queen Clarisse Renaldi in 2001’s The Princess Diaries alongside Anne Hathaway.

Other notable titles she has under her belt are Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Victor/Victoria (1981) and Tooth Fairy (2010), among many more.

Is Julie Andrews a voice actor?

Yes! Julie has done an enormous amount of voice work throughout her career, with her first experience of voice-dubbing dating back to 1949.

Fans of Bridgerton will recognise Julie’s voice as that of Lady Whistledown, the narrator of Netflix’s Regency-era drama.

She has also lent her dulcet tones to projects such as Enchanted, Aquaman, The King’s Daughter as well as multiple titles under the Shrek and Despicable Me franchises.

Read more: Did you know Julie Andrews is the voice of Lady Whistledown in ‘Bridgerton’?

What theatre productions has Julie Andrews been in?

Julie Andrews made her debut on the stage when she appeared on the West End in 1948 at the tender age of just 13!

She made the move to Broadway in 1954, acting as Polly Brown in The Boy Friend. Julie went on to originate the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady in 1956, a production she was involved in for four years in New York as well as London.

The musical theatre icon has also acted in productions Camelot, Putting It Together and Victor/Victoria, her last appearance on Broadway was in 1997.

She has also been involved in multiple television special musicals such as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Julie and The King & I.