1 / 10
Glynis Johns was born on October 5, 1923, in South Africa while her Welsh actor parents were performing there. She got her first big movie role in 1948 as the mermaid Miranda, and her performance in the comedy made her a star in the UK.
2 / 10
Johns came from a long line of English performers, being the fourth generation of her family in the theater. Her father, Mervyn Johns, had a successful career as a character actor, and her mother was a pianist. She was born in Pretoria, South Africa, while her parents were on tour in the area.
3 / 10
At just 13, Glynis Johns made her film debut in 'South Riding' (1938), playing Ralph Richardson’s daughter. From there, her film career flourished, with notable roles in 'Murder in the Family' (1938), '49th Parallel' (1941), 'Miranda' (1948), 'Helter Skelter' (1949), 'The Great Manhunt' and 'Flesh and Blood' (both 1951), 'The Beachcomber' and 'Mad About Men' (both 1954), 'The Court Jester' (1955), 'Loser Takes All' (1956), 'Dear Brigitte' (1965), and 'Under Milk Wood' (1971). In 1963 she also starred in her TV sitcom, 'Glynis'. She also made frequent TV appearances, including in 'Batman',
4 / 10
She also starred in the 1989 Broadway revival of 'The Circle', W. Somerset Maugham’s romantic comedy about love, marriage, and fidelity, where she performed alongside Rex Harrison and Stewart Granger.
5 / 10
She earned several honors, including a Tony Award for her role in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s 'A Little Night Music in 1973, where she performed "Send In The Clowns." She also received an Oscar nomination for the film 'The Sundowners in 1961 and a Golden Globe nomination for 'The Chapman Report' in 1963.
6 / 10
In a 1991 revival of A Little Night Music in Los Angeles, she portrayed "Madame Armfeldt", the mother of "Desiree", a role she had originally created. In 1963, she also starred in her TV sitcom, 'Glynis'.
7 / 10
“I’ve retired many times. My personal life has come before my work. The theater is just part of my life. It probably uses my highest sense of intelligence, so therefore I have to come back to it, to realize that I’ve got the talent. I’m not as good doing anything else,” Johns had told the 'AP'.
8 / 10
Johns was married and divorced four times. She had one son, actor Gareth Forwood, with her first husband, Anthony Forwood.
9 / 10
Her last acting roles were in the 1995 film 'While You Were Sleeping, featuring Sandra Bullock, and the 1999 film 'Superstar', starring Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell. She later retired to the U.S. and spent her final years in an assisted living home in Hollywood.
10 / 10
Johns, who reached the height of her career as "Mrs. Winifred Banks" in the beloved film 'Mary Poppins', passed away on Jan 4, 2024 at the assisted living home in Los Angeles from natural causes. She was 100. "Glynis lived her life with intelligence, wit, and a deep love for performance, touching millions of lives," said her manager Mitch Clem in a statement.
Glynis Johns was a talented actress known for her roles in Mary Poppins and on Broadway. She had a long and successful career, charming audiences with her unique style.
This gallery looks back at her life, remembering her impact on entertainment and the joy she brought to so many.