When we were children, we wanted a nanny like Mary Poppins. Of course we didn’t have a nanny, we had parents that were a lot less fun (hopefully they aren’t reading this). It was okay though, because we always had Mary Poppins.
And the actress behind the iconic role, Julie Andrews, has played other roles (we’re loving her in Bridgerton right now) that have been amazing, but Mary Poppins has always held a special place for us.
The actress was speaking with Vanity Fair, discussing her films and talked about what drew her to the role of Mary Poppins. Not surprising to us, it had to do with the music.
“It was a brand new thing in my life that I’d never done before. It was for Walt Disney, of course, and the songs in Mary Poppins had a kind of Vaudeville quality to them,” she told Vanity Fair about taking the role. “I think it’s what attracted me to the role, because all that kind of ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ and ‘Jolly Holiday’ music was very much like the kind of things that you hear in English vaudeville.”
We love the music so we completely get that. But we also loved learning that her then-husband, Tony Walton, had something to do with the other part that drew her to the role. We were surprised to learn that it was Poppins costume, which he imagined and helped with.
“Because I think that’s what gives her pleasure. Very formal on the outside, and a little bit wicked on the inside. It completely gave me a clue as to her character. Big, big help for me,” he had told Andrews.
Whatever the reasons, we’ll always be happy she took on the role. Great memories associated with that decision.
