How Julie Andrews ‘did not feel worthy of success’ and even hid her Oscar

Mrs Andrews became a household name after starring in the film classics, ‘Mary Poppins’ – her big screen debut – and ‘The Sound of Music’. She has been seen as a national treasure within the performing arts ever since. Her contributions to acting were also recognised in 2000 when she was made a Dame by the Queen. In 2002, she was ranked 59 in the BBC’s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. While Mrs Andrews appears to have since taken a step back from the big screen, she has accepted a number of voice roles in animated films such as Despicable Me and Shrek. She also fronted the pre-school series Julie’s Greenroom on Netflix in March 2017.

She managed to reach the dizzy heights of fame after overcome a challenging childhood where she was riddled with anxiety – but such feelings of discomfort soon came back later in life.

Ms Andrews is set to tell Graham Norton that she did not cope well with life in the limelight initially, especially after she won the Best Actress Oscar in 1965 for her performance in Mary Poppins.

She said: “I kept the Oscar in the attic for a very long time because I thought I’d been given it as a ‘Welcome to Hollywood’ and I didn’t feel worthy of it.

“So much early success sent me into therapy and analysis.”

On the US talk show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this month, the actress revealed that “therapy saved my life”. She first started visiting a specialist after the separation from her first husband. She claimed “my head was so full of clutter and garbage” at the time, she was encouraged by director Mike Nichols to talk to someone about it.

She also told Mr Norton how she managed to adjust to the film industry.

Mrs Andrews said: “I learnt you have to do it right and honour the films you are making. It’s a huge gift, but a lot of obligation.”

She explained how she felt “very lucky” to have avoided any negative encounters within such a competitive environment.

“I married Blake Edwards soon after arriving in Hollywood and it protected me from ever getting into that predicament.”

Mr Edwards was her second husband and they split in 2010.

Mrs Andrews’ new memoir, Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, reveals the details of the horrifying moment one of the Von Trapp children almost drowned on set.

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Seven-year-old Kyn Karath, along with the other Von Trapp children and Maria, was supposed to be filming a scene where they all fall out of a boating start singing.

The actress wrote: “The assistant director waded rather urgently through the water towards me and whispered ‘The little one can’t swim…’ WHAT?!’

“‘Yes,’ he said. ‘We would be out grateful if you could get to her as quickly as possible once you’re in the water.”

Mrs Andrews explains: “In the second take, the boat rocked so violently that I went over the back as Kym went over the front.

“I have never swum so fast in my life. I could see the poor child flailing away and going under at least twice. Crew members dove into the water to help she her, and mercifully we got there in time.”

The child actress then began vomiting water and was assisted by Heather Menzies, who played Louisa Von Trapp.

‘Mary Poppins’ returned last year with Emily Blunt as the star. As the original magic nanny, Mrs Andrews was asked to return to the limelight and feature in the film but declined, not wanting to overshadow Ms Blunt.

She considered taking a part in Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ which turned out to be a box-office hit, but she was force to leave the role after undergoing ankle surgery. She claimed she was “truly stoned” on painkillers as a result of the operation and unable to perform.

The Graham Norton Show will air on BBC One on Friday 1 November 10.35pm.

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