The 3 Roles That Defined Julie Andrew's Career

Actress Julie Andrews has a long established history in film and television. She has earned 24 nominations and 28 awards throughout her acting career, but there are three roles that put Andrews on the map in Hollywood.

1. Mary Poppins, "Mary Poppins" (1964)

This family favorite made Andrews a household name with her signature umbrella in hand. Andrews played the nanny of two impossible children in the Disney feature, in which Variety magazine raved about her performance: "Julie Andrews' first appearance on the screen is a signal triumph and she performs as easily as she sings, displaying a fresh type of beauty nicely adaptable to the color cameras."

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Andrews won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for playing Mary Poppins, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical/Comedy.

2. Maria, "The Sound of Music" (1965)

Andrews once again took center-stage in this movie musical, bellowing out her songs to the hills, all while working to become a nun. The film is considered one of the most popular musicals of all time, namely because of Andrews’ performance.

Andrews earned reviews of "magnificent" and "absolutely sincere," as Maria, citing she was the anchor to the production, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The G-rated film, now decades old, is still considered a family favorite.

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Andrews was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film and won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical/Comedy.

3. Victoria Grant, "Victor/Victoria" (1982)

Andrews starred alongside James Garner as an entertainer on the verge of starvation in "Victor/Victoria." To make a living, Victoria Grant (Andrews) becomes a male impersonator pretending to be a female impersonator. Andrews' husband, Blake Edwards, directed the film.

Film4 called the film "A star vehicle for his wife Julie Andrews, Blake Edwards' Victor/Victoria takes its gender-bending premise to preposterous levels, but results in a sparkling and hugely enjoyable musical comedy."

For her role in “Victor Victoria,” Andrews earned a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress- Comedy/Musical and a David D. Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actress.

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