A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down--and that's not something you're likely to forget. With Julie Andrews in the role of the fanciful caretaker Mary Poppins, she created an unforgettable character and defined herself as an actress. She's been remembered forever after as the sunny, affable British nanny whose lovely voice has entertained generations of children.

Born Julia Elizabeth Wells in Surrey, England, she grew up in the care of her mother, who had divorced her natural father and remarried a vaudeville performer. She quickly developed a talent for singing, and performed regularly with her family (including for Princess--now Queen--Elizabeth). Working in children's theater and film throughout the '50s, she became known for playing in a musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, better known today as My Fair Lady. The theater production was a smash success, and cemented her credentials as a vocalist and entertainer. She was only 20 and starring in one of Broadway's biggest hit plays ever.

Though she was passed over for Audrey Hepburn when the play's movie rights were purchased, Andrews was kept on board for another musical--a fantasy children's film entitled Mary Poppins. The film and its accompanying soundtrack were both smash hits, and Andrews was signed on for two other films--one of them being the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical called The Sound of Music. Her role in that film would also prove to be a defining one for Andrews. The Sound of Music would eventually surpass in ticket sales the record previously held by Gone with the Wind, grossing almost $80 million in the states alone.

Now, decades later, she's still actively working in the film industry, and is still considered a legendary performer--both on stage and screen.