Dame Julie Andrews is an English actress, singer, and director. Known for her performances on stage and screen, she has received several accolades including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, seven Golden Globe Awards, two Grammy Awards, and three Primetime Emmy Awards as well as a nomination for three Tony Awards. She has been honored with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001 the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion in 2019 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2022.
Andrews started her career on stage making her Broadway debut in the musical The Boy Friend (1954) earning a Theater World Award. She gained her breakthrough for her role as Eliza Doolittle in the Lerner and Loewe musical My Fair Lady (1957) for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She continued to gain acclaim and Tony-award nominations for her portrayals of Queen Guinevere in the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot (1961), and Victoria Grant in the Blake Edwards musical Victor/Victoria (1996). The later of which earned her the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. She acted in the off-Broadway Stephen Sondheim revue Putting It Together (1993) for which she earned an Outer Critics Circle Award as well as a nomination for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.
On film, she made her debut portraying the title role in the Walt Disney family fantasy film Mary Poppins (1964) for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture â Musical or Comedy, and the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She portrayed Maria von Trapp in the musical epic The Sound of Music (1965) earning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture â Musical or Comedy as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress. She won another Golden Globe for her leading role in the Blake Edwards comedy Victor/Victoria (1982) and was Globe-nominated for her roles in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), Star! (1969), Darling Lili (1970), 10 (1979), That's Life! (1986), and Duet for One (1986).
On television, she gained national prominence for playing the title role in the CBS live staging of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Cinderella (1957) for which she was nominated for the Best Single Performance â Lead or Supporting Actress. She hosted the ABC variety series The Julie Andrews Hour (1972âÂÂ1973), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series. She played a kind Nanny in the family Christmas film Eloise at Christmastime (2003) for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. She currently portrays Lady Whistledown in the Netflix costume romance series Bridgerton (2020âÂÂpresent) and ' (2023), for which she's received four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance, winning once.
She earned a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979, and received the Disney Legend in 1991 for her work on Mary Poppins. She has also won accolades from the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Laurel Awards, People's Choice Awards, and Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
Andrews has received many honorary degrees in recognition of her distinguished career in entertainment. These include: