The great Julie Andrews turned 90 on October 1, 2025. A true symbol of success, the English actress has received numerous accolades throughout her eight-decade career, including an Oscar, a British Academy Film Award, three Emmys, three Grammy Awards, and seven Golden Globe Awards, as well as nominations for three Tony Awards, bringing her close to EGOT status. She was also made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the year 2000.
An ever-industrious performer, Andrews has starred in 35 movies, six TV shows, and six stage plays in her career. She began her career in the early 1950s and hasn’t had a dull decade ever since. There is no bad Julie Andres movie. Each one can make you laugh or cry. But there’s one major hit from each decade of her career that fans will never forget.
Looking to check out her work? Here’s her best movie from each decade of her career, going all the way back to the 1950s.
1950s – ‘La Rosa di Bagdad’ (1952)
La Rosa di Bagdad, also known as The Singing Princess, is about Princess Zeila of Baghdad (voiced by Julie Andrews), who is targeted by the evil Sheikh Jafar (voiced by Stephen Jack). Advised by a magician, the man plans to cast a spell, marry Zeila, and seize the kingdom of Zeila’s uncle, Caliph Oman III (voiced by Arthur Young). Aware of what’s about to happen, snake-charmer Amin (voiced by Patricia Hayes), vows to stop Jafar.
A Technical Achievement
Writer/director Anton Gino Domenighini drew inspiration from the Arabian Nights and benefited from a great voice cast. Stephen Jack succeeds in making Jafar’s unreasonable, erratic behavior feel totally genuine and unforced. Andrews also carries the movie with an utterly natural and warm performance. This was Italy’s first film to utilize Technicolor technology and was one of the first animated films produced in Europe. Several decades later, its quality is still good enough to warrant fresh viewing.
1960s – ‘Mary Poppins’ (1964)
Set in Edwardian London, Mary Poppins introduces us to the Banks children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber), who have grown unruly. Their parents thus hire Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), a nanny with magical abilities. With time, she instills discipline in the children by taking them on wild, fantastical adventures.
Walt Disney’s Biggest 20th Century Hit
Mary Poppins received a whopping 13 Oscar nominations — a record for a Walt Disney Studios film — and won five, including Best Actress for Julie Andrews. Apart from having one of the best songs in musicals, the film’s leisurely pace and bubbly tone create a commanding immediacy, and we experience this new, unfamiliar magical world as if we know it. Andrews is perfect, portraying a character whose unwavering steps mirror those of every adult we ever admired as kids. Best of all, the immersive, feeling-filled journey explores the delicate nature of childhood with a rare sensitivity.
1970s – ’10’ (1979)
10’s George Webber (Dudley-Moore) is a successful composer suffering from a midlife crisis. He isn’t too happy with his longtime lover, Samantha Taylor (Julie Andrews), so when he stops the stunning newlywed Jenny Hanley (Bo Derek), he becomes infatuated. Pursuing her to a Mexican resort, he finds himself in numerous hilarious misadventures.
Pleasing to the Eyes and Ears
Famous for Bo Derek’s beach scenes and Julie Andrews’ calm performance, 10 is a treat for teens and adults. It all feels like a pitch-perfect poem of love, life, and honesty. Here, director Blake Edwards presents an emotionally complex scenario that rises above good or evil, right or wrong. The movie is simply about honest, cool people forced to make strange choices. The music is also marvelous. At the Oscars, the comedy was nominated for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. Rumors of a remake have been around since 2020, but nothing has materialized.
1980s – ‘Victor/Victoria’ (1982)
Another Blake Edwards gem, Victor/Victoria takes us to 1930s Paris where singer Victoria Grant (Julie Andrews) is struggling to find work. Then a light-bulb moment happens. She teams up with flamboyant performer Toddy (Robert Preston), and, together, they concoct a scheme where she pretends to be “Victor,” a man who performs as a woman. The act becomes a huge success, but complications emerge when a Chicago gangster starts doubting everything.
Anything To Survive
Whether you are ready or not, Victor/Victoria sneaks up on you in the most joyous way possible, while also offering a heartbreaking look into gender bias in employment. Preston is as good as ever as a man who can be trusted to maintain a ruse, while Andrews serves as the compelling anchor of the film, caught between her dreams and the practical realities of her actions. For her work, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Beyond that, director Blake Edwards somehow makes even the simplest sequences remarkably tense, funny, and uncommonly moving.
1990s – ‘A Fine Romance’ (1991)
Based on the play Tchin-Tchin, A Fine Romance centers on the heartbroken spouses, Englishwoman Pamela Piquet (Julie Andrews) and Italian Cesareo Garibaldi (Marcello Mastroianni). Pamela’s husband is having an affair with Cesareo’s wife. While spying on their respective cheating partners, the two team up to break the relationship. Will they succeed? What will happen if they do?
A Twist Awaits
Sensual, comical, slow-paced, visually stunning, and dreamily romantic, Gene Saks’ A Fine Romance is a vibrantly told epic about the struggle to keep marriages alive while ensuring love remains. It also has the distinction of being Andrews’ only film to be released in theaters during the 1990s. Many felt her powers were waning during the time, but watching her performance here, nothing could be further from the truth. The actress would go on to make a strong comeback in the 2000s.
2000s – ‘Enchanted’ (2007)
Narrated by Julie Andrews, Enchanted opens in the magical kingdom of Andalasia, where Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) fantasizes about a romance with Prince Edward (James Marsden). Unfortunately, the evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) banishes her to modern-day New York. As she struggles to adapt and deals with the cynical lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey), Edward decides to go rescue her.
Love Cutting Across Time
It’s always great watching movies like Enchanted, where tumultuous proceedings interrupt a love story. Then we see each party haunted by the memory of their former lover. Such are the joys audiences get from this particular film. Spanning different timelines, the musical fantasy rom-com tackles issues like fidelity and idealism while paying homage to popular Disney animated features. Julie Andrews’ voice is magical as always, but the film really belongs to Amy Adams, who gives her all in the leading role.
2010s – ‘Despicable Me’ (2010)
Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) has an ambitious plan in Despicable Me. He wants to steal the Moon, and to ensure his plan is a success, he adopts three orphaned girls, aiming to use them to infiltrate a rival’s fortress. Initially, he considers them nothing but pawns in his major scheme, but he slowly grows to love them. Voicing Gru’s mother is Julie Andrews.
The Start of a Marvelous Franchise
If for no other reason, watch this for Steve Carell and Julie Andrews. Their voices will soothe you on a tough day. The tale itself feels universal, as the delusion of unchecked ambition gives way to real-life consequences, resulting in a change of ways. This might be the earliest entry in the Despicable Me canon, but it’s also the most important one. The music by Pharrell Williams and Heitor Pereira will awe you, too.
2020s – ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ (2022)
Minions: The Rise of Gru engages the reverse gear, stopping in the 1970s, where an eleven‑year‑old Gru is aiming to join the supervillain group the Vicious 6. His application is rejected, and instead of setting his mind on other things, he steals their powerful Zodiac Stone. Unfortunately, one of his buddies trades it for a pet rock, forcing Gru to embark on a frustration-filled mission to find it.
Gru: Year One
The Rise of Gru remains one of the highest-grossing animated movies of all time, relating a tale of doomed ambitions with insight, comicality, and sensitivity. The animated film brilliantly celebrates the innocence of youth, and the director makes the most out of the voice cast, including Andrews reprising her role from the original Despicable Me film, while presenting some of the best animation ever seen. Compared to the other sequels, this installment never feels like a waste. Watch it to properly understand “The Rise of Beloved Gru.”