Julie Andrews

Dame Julie Andrews is an English actress, singer, and author. Andrews, a child actress and singer, appeared on the West End in 1948 and made her Broadway debut in "The Boy Friend" (1954). Recognized early in her career, she starred in Broadway musicals such as "My Fair Lady" (1956) playing Eliza Doolittle, and "Camelot" (1960) playing Queen Guinevere. In 1957, Andrews starred in the premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's written-for-television musical "Cinderella," a live network broadcast viewed by over 100 million people. Andrews made her feature film debut in "Mary Poppins" (1964), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She starred in "The Sound of Music" (1965), playing Maria von Trapp, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

Between 1964 and 1986, Andrews starred in "The Americanization of Emily" (1964), "Hawaii" (1966), "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (1967), "Star!" (1968), "The Tamarind Seed" (1974), "10" (1979), "S.O.B." (1981), and "Victor/Victoria" (1982), for which she received her third Academy Award nomination and another Golden Globe. Her career slowed down after 1986, with a temporary pause in film appearances after 1991, resuming in 2000. In the new millennium, Andrews experienced a career revival with central roles in the "Shrek" series as Queen Lillian, in "The Princess Diaries" and its sequel as Queen Clarisse Renaldi, and in the "Despicable Me" series as Gru's mother Marlena. She has also hosted performance shows such as "Great Performances" and narrated documentaries, including the 2004 Emmy-winning series "Broadway: The American Musical."

In 2000, Andrews was named a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the performing arts. Andrews has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA, five Golden Globes, three Grammys, two Emmys, the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors Award. She is also renowned for her contributions to literature, authoring over 25 children's books with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, including the "Little Bo" series and "The Very Fairy Princess" franchise, and her autobiographies, "Home: A Memoir of My Early Years" (2008) and "Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years" (2019). Andrews has been an active participant in humanitarian efforts, including her work as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women from 1992 to 2006, and her involvement with Operation USA, through which she traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia.