Which actress won the Best Actress Oscar for Mary Poppins?

Julie Andrews won the Best Actress Oscar for Mary Poppins. She played the magical nanny in Walt Disney’s 1964 musical film, adapted from P. L. Travers’s children’s books.

Andrews’s performance combined singing, dancing, comedy, and an unusually poised screen presence. The role became her film debut and earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 37th Academy Awards in 1965. She also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for the same performance.

A common mix-up is confusing this Oscar with Andrews’s later nominations or with other stars associated with 1960s musicals. Audrey Hepburn starred in My Fair Lady, while Debbie Reynolds appeared in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Andrews’s victory was especially notable because she had been passed over for the film version of My Fair Lady, a decision that made her Mary Poppins success even more memorable.

The film also won four other Oscars, including awards for its music and visual effects.