Glynis Johns, after 100 years on Earth, has passed away. While the British actress became best known for her role in Mary Poppins, she heavily contributed to live theatre, film, and an eight decade career most people in Hollywood only dream of.

Glynis Johns may have been best known for her role of Winifred Banks in Disney’s 1964 adaptation of Mary Poppins, but her career started much earlier and spanned over eight decades. She actually made her theatrical debut as an infant at only three weeks old. This made her fourth generation legacy on her mother’s side to act on stage. She professionally acted in several London productions as a young child. She was also a child ballerina which led her to be cast in several children’s plays throughout London in the 1930s and was especially popular during Christmas time. She was cast in her first major stage production at just 13 years old, and made her screen debut at merely 15 years old in 1938.

During her screen time, she quickly rose ranks. She played supporting roles until she earned international recognition in 1942, only four years after making her initial screen debut. Throughout the 1940s she took on supporting roles and her first starring role in No Highway In the Sky. In her early career her colleagues described her as being ‘a strikingly unusual actress facially reminiscent of Gloria Grahame, with a melodic, purring voice’ and ‘seemed to epitomise modern British womanhood’. These kinds of compliments followed her through her career, and even after she retired.

“ ‘I can’t get over the joy you’ve given me, dear Matthew’ – So wrote the wonderful Glynis Johns when she came to watch @mbnewadventures production of Cinderella in Los Angeles in 1999 – The same could be said about how I feel about her and her glorious career in film and on stage – Mrs Banks, Desiree, Miranda – to name just a few of her legendary roles – and that voice!!! The voice that first sang Stephen Sondheim’s “Send In The Clowns” – unique and iconic – Farewell dear Glynis”

Once Glynis Johns became well renowned in her career on screen, she moved to television. Her debut for television is not as well known as the actress herself. She appeared in the series Little Women, for just one episode in season four titled “Lily, The Queen of the Movies” in which she played Lily. Little Women seemed to be foreshadowing Glynis Johns’ career. She briefly returned to her stage career before she was approached for what became her best known role.

When she was first approached for her role in Mary Poppins, she initially thought Walt Disney was asking her to play the title role. After lunch and explaining that the Sherman Brothers would write her a musical number of her own, she accepted the role of the suffragette Winifred Banks, wife of George Banks and mother to Jane and Michael. After her iconic role, she was cast in several major productions across film, television, and live performances across Great Britain and the U.S.

“The heavens must have blessed us, for we received the wonderful news that… London theatre’s favourite daughter, Glynis Johns, had agreed to come to London to star in our play.”

Across Glynis Johns’ 80 year career, she accumulated several awards before she retired in 1999 including:

1 National Board of Review for Best Acting from 49th Parallel

1 Laurel Award for Female Supporting Performance from Mary Poppins

1 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical from A Little Night Music

1 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical also from A Little Night Music

1 Variety Club Award for Best Actress from Cause célèbre 

1 Disney Legends Award

This article was originally published on TheatreArtLife.com. Written by TheatreArtLife Content Producer Drew Janine.

Anna Robb

All around the world there are people working in arts and entertainment. They are not in the industry for the money, the fame or the work/life balance. They are there through a sheer driving force; The need to create. From this community, TheatreArtLife was born.
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