You know that feeling when you watch a classic movie and realize the lead actor looks impossibly young? I had that exact moment last night while rewatching Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews floating down with her umbrella, looking absolutely poised and, honestly, quite youthful for someone who was supposed to be a "practically perfect" authority figure. It got me thinking. Exactly how old was julie andrews in mary poppins when she filmed it?
Most people assume she was in her early 30s. She has this sophisticated, "I've seen it all" vibe that usually comes with a bit more mileage. But the reality is actually pretty wild. When Julie Andrews first stepped onto the Disney lot in Burbank to play the world’s most famous nanny, she was still in her 20s.
The Numbers: Julie Andrews’ Age During Production
Let’s get the math out of the way first. Julie Andrews was born on October 1, 1935.
Mary Poppins didn't just appear out of thin air; it had a fairly long production cycle. Principal photography—that’s the fancy term for when they actually had the cameras rolling—began on May 6, 1963, and wrapped up around September of that same year.
If you do the math:
- When filming started in May 1963, Julie Andrews was 27 years old.
- By the time the movie actually premiered in Los Angeles on August 27, 1964, she was 28, turning 29 just a few weeks later.
It’s kind of crazy to think about. At 27, most of us are still figuring out how to file taxes or keep a succulent alive. Meanwhile, Julie was carrying a massive Disney production on her shoulders, dealing with a grumpy P.L. Travers (the author), and performing complex musical numbers that would define her career forever.
Why She Looked "Older" (In a Good Way)
There’s a reason we often misjudge her age. Julie had spent years on the stage before Walt Disney ever "discovered" her in Camelot. She had a professional maturity that didn't match her birth certificate. By the time she was 27, she’d already starred in My Fair Lady on Broadway. She had a discipline and a "stage presence" that made her seem like she’d been around for decades.
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Honestly, she had to be tough. Filming Mary Poppins wasn't exactly a walk in the park. She once mentioned in an interview that the wire work for the flying scenes was incredibly painful. At one point, a wire snapped or slipped, and she plummeted to the stage floor. She apparently let out a few "Anglo-Saxon" words that definitely weren't in the script.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Casting
There’s this famous Hollywood legend that Julie Andrews only got Mary Poppins because she was "passed over" for the movie version of My Fair Lady. That’s actually true. Jack Warner chose Audrey Hepburn for the role of Eliza Doolittle because he wanted a "big name" for the film.
But here’s the kicker: Walt Disney didn't just pick Julie as a consolation prize. He saw her in Camelot and was so convinced she was the only person who could play Mary that he actually delayed production for her.
The Pregnancy Delay
When Walt first approached her, Julie had to turn him down. Why? She was pregnant with her daughter, Emma Kate Walton.
Most studios back then would have just moved on to the next actress on the list. But Walt Disney famously said, "We’ll wait." He was that certain.
Julie gave birth in November 1962. She moved to California with her then-husband, Tony Walton (who actually designed the costumes for the film!), just a few months later. So, when she started filming at age 27, she was also a brand-new mother. Talk about a busy year.
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Comparing Julie Andrews to the Rest of the Cast
If you think 27 is young for a magical nanny, look at her co-star. Dick Van Dyke, who played Bert, was born in 1925. That made him 37 years old during filming—a full decade older than Julie.
Their chemistry worked because they both had this boundless energy, but you can definitely see the difference in their career stages. Dick was already a massive TV star with The Dick Van Dyke Show, while this was literally Julie's first-ever feature film.
Then you have the kids:
- Karen Dotrice (Jane): She was only 8 years old.
- Matthew Garber (Michael): He was just 7.
Looking back, it’s impressive that a 27-year-old first-time film actress managed to command the screen so well alongside seasoned actors and unpredictable children.
Why Her Age at the Time Matters Now
Knowing that Julie was only 27 or 28 during the peak of the Poppins craze adds a layer of respect to what she achieved. She didn't just "play" a part; she created an icon.
Usually, when we think of someone "winning" at life in their late 20s, we think of tech founders or pop stars. We don't often think of someone becoming the definitive version of a literary character that had been around since the 1930s.
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The Oscar Win
She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role in 1965. She was 29 years old when she stood on that stage and accepted the Oscar. In her speech, she famously (and cheekily) thanked Jack Warner for not casting her in My Fair Lady, because if he had, she never would have been available to do Poppins.
That’s some legendary level of shade, honestly.
Practical Takeaways from the Poppins Era
If you’re a fan of the film or just a student of film history, there are a few things you can do to appreciate this performance even more:
- Watch "Saving Mr. Banks": It gives you a great (though slightly stylized) look at the tension between Walt Disney and P.L. Travers while they were trying to get the movie made.
- Listen to the Original Cast Recording: Pay attention to Julie’s vocal control. It’s insane to think a 27-year-old had that kind of technical mastery. Her "Feed the Birds" is a masterclass in restraint.
- Check out "The Sound of Music" back-to-back: She filmed that right after Mary Poppins. She was still only 29 when she played Maria von Trapp. Seeing those two iconic roles performed by someone not even 30 yet is pretty mind-blowing.
At the end of the day, age is just a number, but in Hollywood, timing is everything. If Julie Andrews had been five years older or five years younger, the "Disney Magic" might have looked very different. Instead, we got a 27-year-old powerhouse who turned a umbrella-toting nanny into a cinematic legend.
If you're curious about how her career evolved after this, you might want to look into her work with her second husband, Blake Edwards. She spent much of her 40s and 50s actively trying to break away from the "nanny" image, which led to some pretty fascinating (and much more adult) roles in the 70s and 80s.