Dame Julie Andrews turns 85 today. She started in show business at 12, and by the age of 15 was supporting her family—a family that abused her.

People always see her as this soft, loverly creature (which she is) but she’s also tough as hell.

also: she’s literally been bffs with carol burnett forever

Julie Andrews is also a children’s book author. She’s written several with her daughter Emma.

MANDY and THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES are my favorites.

Expand your Julie Andrews knoweldge beyond Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and The Princess Diaries with some other gems in her filmography:

⊹ Thoroughly Modern Millie (with Mary Tyler Moore)
⊹ Star!

Non-musicals:
⊹ Torn Curtain (Hitchcock, Paul Newman)
⊹ The Americanization of Emily (hotter than intended)

also: still thinking about her wedding dress when she married tony walton

She spent many years in Switzerland and paid for every roof in the village to be adorned with Christmas lights.

Which seems like a Julie Andrews thing to do.

A final thought for this thread:

The most underrated Julie-Andrews-as-Nanny role is ELOISE.