Julie Andrews’ ‘Freaky’ Voice Helped Her Land Her First Job
Julie Andrews is in her 80s. But the iconic singer and actor is enjoying a career resurgence, thanks to a high-profile voice role in Minions: The Rise of Gru. While some new fans are discovering Andrews for the first time, other established pop culture fans are revisiting the star’s distinguished resume and credentials. Andrews is well-known for her iconic acting roles. But she’s equally well-known for her beautiful singing voice, which is on display in movies such as Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. In a recent Vanity Fair interview, Andrews opened up about her famous singing voice, revealing how it led her to get her start in show business.
Julie Andrews admitted her ‘freaky’ voice helped her to launch her career
Born in 1935, Andrews was raised by a mother who worked as a pianist and a stepfather who had an established vaudeville show. When she was still very young, her parents realized that the girl had an incredible vocal range. She could hit notes that even established singers would struggle with. As Andrews told Vanity Fair, “to their surprise, they found out that I had a kind of freaky adult larynx and could sing all kinds of coloratura songs. And it wasn’t long before I became part of their act.”
Andrews went on to describe how she broke out. “At the age of about 10, I began climbing on a box to sing beside them on stage,” she continued. “And then at 12, I had my first sort of main break in London.” From there, it was a steady climb to the top for Andrews – and after a stint on Broadway, the singing sensation started landing roles in Hollywood films. Many of her roles spotlighted her vocal talents, and in short order, fans all around the world knew Andrews because of her angelic singing voice.
Julie Andrews lost her singing voice after a freak medical incident
Throughout the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, Andrews was a staple presence in the entertainment industry. After a successful run on Broadway in 1997, she developed hoarseness in her voice. When visiting a doctor, she was informed she had a non-cancerous nodule on her throat, affecting her voice. Andrews opted to undergo vocal surgery. But sadly, something went wrong. And after the surgery was completed, she discovered that she could no longer access her full vocal range.
She filed a malpractice lawsuit. But Andrews was devastated at the sudden loss of her famous voice. She even underwent surgery later on in an attempt to restore her singing voice. However, the operation was unsuccessful.
How did Julie Andrews cope with the loss of her singing voice?
Andrews later admitted that she went into a deep depression after losing her singing voice. “I was in denial for a while,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. “It was devastating. A loss of myself. And I had to finally come to the conclusion that it wasn’t only that that I was made of. I mean, I thought my voice was my stock-in-trade, my talent, my soul.”
She found a way out of the depression by starting a publishing company with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton. “I was bemoaning my fate to her one day and saying, ‘You have no idea what (losing my voice) is like,'” Andrews said. “And she said, ‘Oh, Mom, I know it must be terrible — but now you’ve found a different way of using your voice.’ What she said hit true right when it mattered, and I felt this great sort of weight drop away, and then I was able to begin recovery.” These days, Andrews is still going strong, displaying not only her talent, but her strength and resilience as well.
