Legendary British actress and singer Dame Julie Andrews made television history on September 6, 2026, at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles by winning the award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her narration as Lady Whistledown in Netflix’s hit period drama series Bridgerton. At age 90, Andrews became the oldest person ever to win a Primetime Emmy Award. This victory marks her fifth career Emmy Award, following nominations and wins across her six-decade career in international theater, film, and television.
Andrews began her professional stage career as a child performer in London’s West End during the late 1940s before making her Broadway debut in the 1954 production of The Boy Friend. She achieved widespread theatrical fame originating the role of Eliza Doolittle in Lerner and Loewe’s iconic 1956 Broadway musical My Fair Lady, for which she earned her first Tony Award nomination. She solidified her musical theater legacy in 1960 by originating the role of Queen Guinevere in Camelot opposite Richard Burton.
In 1964, Andrews made her feature film debut starring in Disney’s musical masterpiece Mary Poppins, a performance that earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. The following year, she delivered another world-renowned performance as Maria von Trapp in Robert Wise’s classic film adaptation of The Sound of Music, securing her second Golden Globe and another Oscar nomination. Over subsequent decades, Andrews starred in cinematic hits such as Thoroughly Modern Millie, 10, and Victor/Victoria, the latter of which earned her a third Academy Award nomination.
Andrews introduced herself to a new generation of film audiences playing Queen Clarisse Renaldi in Disney’s popular comedy franchise The Princess Diaries alongside Anne Hathaway, as well as voicing Queen Lillian in the animated Shrek series and Gru’s mother in Despicable Me. Since 2020, her dry wit and commanding vocal presence as the anonymous gossip columnist Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton have served as a signature element of the global streaming hit, earning her multiple voice-over accolades.
While Andrews has stated in recent interviews that she has retired from on-camera acting, she continues to stay active through podcasting, writing children’s books with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, and high-profile voice work. Her historic Emmy win celebrates an extraordinary legacy as one of the most beloved and honored figures in the history of global performing arts.
