Julie Andrews

Dame Julie Andrews, born Julia Elizabeth Wells on October 1, 1935 in Walton-on-Thames, England, is a British actress and singer celebrated for her crystalline soprano voice and impeccable diction. A child performer on the British stage, she rose to international fame on Broadway before becoming a Hollywood icon in the 1960s with two of the most beloved film musicals ever made: Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music.

Her performance as Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music produced enduring standards such as «Do-Re-Mi», «My Favorite Things», and «The Lonely Goatherd», songs that showcase her warm, precise vocal delivery and her gift for bringing character and storytelling into song. Her voice, trained for both classical operetta and popular musical theatre, made her one of the defining interpreters of the mid-century movie-musical songbook.

Beyond her singing career, Andrews built a long career as an actress and author, and later became known to new generations through family films. Her association with the Rodgers and Hammerstein songbook and with Disney's musical productions cemented her as one of the most recognizable voices in the history of musical cinema.