Julie Andrews is one of Hollywood’s most loved icons. She has appeared in several fan-favorite blockbusters and garnered numerous accolades in her career. But did you know that she was snubbed for the role of Eliza Doolittle in the film My Fair Lady?
Julie Andrews was snubbed for the starring role in the film My Fair Lady but took home the Oscar in the same year for portraying Mary Poppins, while Audrey Hepburn wasn’t even nominated.
Who is Julie Andrews?
Dame Julie Andrews was born on October 1, 1935, in England. Her amazing voice drew a lot of attention as a child, and she started singing professionally on stage and on the radio.
Andrews sang for various productions while touring around Britain with her parents from the mid to late 1940s. Andrews made history in 1948 when she was the youngest solo performer ever seen in a Royal Command Variety Performance, singing for Queen Elizabeth.
Andrews began her Broadway career in the early 1950s. Andrews made her Broadway debut at 19 in the play The Boy Friend. Critics praised Andrews’ acting abilities and her fantastic singing voice, and she went on to play Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. (Source: Cheat Sheet)
Julie Andrews Becoming Eliza Doolittle
Andrews was very popular as Eliza Doolittle, and when plans to make the long-running stage musical into a film began, Andrews was considered. Sadly, even though Andrews had originated the role on stage, the role of Eliza eventually went to Audrey Hepburn, who was already a movie star.
According to The Southampton Press, studio head Jack Warner wanted someone more well-known than Andrews to star in the film, so he chose Hepburn.
Andrews eventually got the last laugh when she was cast in the highly anticipated Walt Disney film Mary Poppins. The actress quickly adapted to her role, and critics and audiences praised her performance when the film was released in 1963. (Source: Cheat Sheet)
Julie Andrews Receiving the Academy Award for Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins became one of Disney’s most successful films, and it was the vehicle that catapulted Andrews to stardom in the United States. Fans were so taken with her portrayal of the practically perfect nanny that she is still strongly associated with the role nearly five decades later.
Critics praised Andrews’ performance so much that she was nominated for an Academy Award. A nomination she eventually won.
When Andrews took the stage to accept her award, she couldn’t help but poke fun at Jack Warner, the executive who had blocked her from playing Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
And, finally, my thanks to a man who made a wonderful movie and who made all this possible in the first place: Mr. Jack Warner.
Julie Andrews
Andrews’ sassy message and the classy way she expressed her feelings about the project would have likely been approved by Mary Poppins. Both Andrews and Hepburn became film stars, and both remain cultural icons. (Source: Cheat Sheet)
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