When Julie Andrews floated onto screens as Mary Poppins in 1964, she became the embodiment of Disney magic — practically perfect in every way. But the role that catapulted her to stardom also defined her public image for decades, creating a wholesome persona she’s spent much of her career gently pushing against.
In a 1976 BBC interview, Andrews reflected on being typecast by the sweetness of Mary Poppins. “There is an awful lot of teasing in the family about my image,” she admitted, though she never regretted the role.
Walt Disney had spent over two decades trying to secure the rights to P.L. Travers’ book, finally succeeding in the early 1960s. Although Travers disapproved of the film’s whimsical tone — a stark contrast to her darker, more stern character — Disney was set on casting Andrews, having seen her perform in Camelot on Broadway.
At the time, Andrews was pregnant, but Disney was willing to wait. She and her husband, set designer Tony Walton (who also worked on the film), moved to Hollywood in 1963. The resulting production was a groundbreaking mix of animation and live action, with memorable songs like A Spoonful of Sugar and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Mary Poppins became the highest-grossing U.S. film of 1964 and earned Andrews an Oscar for Best Actress — beating out My Fair Lady, the film adaptation of the musical in which Andrews had starred on stage but lost the film role to Audrey Hepburn.
The following year, The Sound of Music cemented Andrews’ star status and reinforced her “sweet” image. In an effort to diversify, she later took on darker roles in films like Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain and The Tamarind Seed, and even turned down parts in similarly saccharine musicals.
Still, Andrews always acknowledged the joy Mary Poppins brought to audiences. “I must be truthful,” she told Sue Lawley. “I don’t regret it at all.”
Source: BBC