The Dolby Theater was alive with the sounds of music on Thursday, as the American Film Institute presented a two-year Life Achievement Award in honor of Julie Andrews“Career, From Mary Poppins” to “The Princess Diaries”
Talking to diverse On the red carpet, Andrews described the honor as “the culmination, in a way, of great events and great fortune.”
“My early years were at Music Hall in London and vaudeville, and I was just a naughty kid who, I think, had a big voice,” Andrews said. “But the wonder is that after that I was asked to go to Broadway and then to Hollywood.”
Andrews made her Hollywood debut playing flying nanny Mary Poppins in 1964, and has spoken in retrospect about the learning curve she faced when she first transitioned from stage to screen, and the results are clearly fruitful. When asked if she had any advice for theater performers looking to work in film, Andrews said, “She’s asked a lot of me. I always tell them that something great, if you’re really loyal and want it, will go under your nose when you least expect it. So do your homework and be ready.”
Andrews has been joined on the carpet by the many faces that have joined her throughout her career, from Hector Elizondo — who played the bodyguard and her interest in Queen Genovia in “The Princess Diaries” — to some of the original von Trapp children she nursed as Maria in “The Sound of Music” in 1965.
Nicholas HammondShe, who played Friedrich and has since sung on tour with Andrews, said the longevity she’s seen in her career is “not just because she’s so brilliantly talented, but because everyone loves working with her. I don’t think you’ll ever have a studio that’s going to say something negative about her.” She, you know, is always the hardest-working person on the set.”
Andrews has shown versatility in recent years, opting for voice roles such as that of Gru’s mother in the “Despicable Me” franchise and the fictional voice of Mrs. Whistledown as she narrates seasons 1 and 2 of “Bridgerton”. When asked if fans can expect her to appear in person on the series, Andrews doesn’t seem to think that could ever happen.
“I don’t think you’ll ever see me do that, because it’s not the way it was written,” Andrews said. “I mean, you know, who Mrs. Wesleydon really is and I just sound like they think she is. But I love doing that.”
Fran Drescherwho cemented herself on her ’90s series “The Nanny” by being a pat in the hearts of a generation, said she. diverse She was inspired by “The Sound of Music” when this series premiered.
“The tune was ‘The Sound of Music,'” Drescher said. “Only instead of Julie Andrews, I came to the door.” “So Julie Andrews has been a really inspiration to me throughout my life and certainly in my career. I feel very fortunate to be here to honor her tonight because she so well deservedly.”
cyan hydra, who was in Dolby just a few months ago and won an Academy Award for her movie “CODA,” was also honored Thursday with the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal. She joined Drescher in talking about Andrews’ impact on her life, with the exception of her favorite movie which was “Mary Poppins”.
“There are a few movies that capture your imagination as a kid and really make you feel like you want to be a part of the world and you want to be with those characters,” Heder said. “It’s always felt that way on screen to me, it’s just a magical on-screen presence that’s incredibly charming and adorable. And you feel that as a kid, you know, having that person spark a love of storytelling and a love of movies and then be honored on a night of their own, is Just a very special trip.”
The Julie Andrews Special AFI Life Achievement Award Ceremony will be broadcast on TNT on June 16.
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