Legendary Oscar-nominated Mary Poppins star dies as tributes pour in

04 January 2024 , 20:31

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Glynis Johns has died

Actress Glynis Johns has died aged 100 as tributes pour in for the star.

She is best known for her role as Mrs. Winifred Banks in the 1964 film Mary Poppins. Glynis' publicist confirmed the news on Thursday 4 January, that the actress died of natural causes. She played the suffragette mother in the classic Disney Mary Poppins movie and also starred in Disney's The Sword and the Rose a decade before.

The actress was named a Disney legend in 1998 and was the oldest living legend until her death. She was also the oldest living Oscar nominee. Glynis received the nomination for acting for the 1960's film The Sundowners. Glynis won an array of awards during her acting career including a Tony award for A Little Night Music.

Glynis is best known for her role as Mrs Banks in Disney's Mary Poppins (Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

The actress has died aged 100 (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

She famously sand the Stephen Sondheim song Send in the Clowns. To mark her 100th birthday, Glynis reflected on the role. She said to ABC7: "I got applause for that. I loved doing it. I felt it." Sondheim wrote the signature song just for Glynis to match her "silvery voice".

Speaking in 2005, he revealed: "I wrote it for her voice, because she couldn’t sustain notes. Wasn’t that kind of singing voice. I wouldn’t have written a song so quickly if I hadn’t known the actress." Her final acting role was in While You Were Sleeping and Superstar in 1999. Glynis was living in West Hollywood, California at the time of her death.

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Her publicist Mitch Clem confirmed Glynis' passing to Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC. Glynis was recurited by Walt Disney himself to play Mrs Banks in the iconic film Mary Poppins. In the film that starred Julie Andrews in the lead role, Glynis sang the song Sister Suffragette.

She was born in South Africa in 1923 and was the daughter of concert pianist Alys Steele and actor Mervyn Johns. Glynis started her acting career in England, having appeared in her first film when she was just 13.

She then held a title role in a stage production of Peter Pan when she was 19. Glynis played a mermaid in three films - 1948's Miranda, 1949's Helter Skelter, and 1954's Mad About Men. The actress also worked on television programmes including Batman on ABC.

Fans have been paying tribute to Glynis on social media as one said: "RIP Glynis Johns, who did a fantastic job of playing the most famous suffragette mother in cinema history." Another added: "Glynis Johns, an amazing performer. An Oscar Nominee, Tony Award Winning actress. When I was 7 I saw Superstar in 1999 in theaters & it was her last film she ever did. Ever since I quote the best line in the movie, her line. Rest on, legend"

Someone else commented: "Sad Glynis Johns has died, but what a life worth lived at 100! She will always be remembered as the absolute icon as Winifred Banks, in Mary Poppins.” A fourth wrote: "Farewell to the legendary Glynis Johns: 100 years old. What an icon. May she rest in peace."

Glynis was married four times - her first husband was Anthony Forwood from 1942-48, with whom she had her only child, actor Gareth Forwood, who died in 2007 from cancer complications. She was married to David Foster, a Royal Navy officer and later president of Colgate-Palmolive, from 1952-1956. She married Cecil Henderson, a businessman, in 1960 - but their marriage lasted less than a year. Glynis then married writer Elliott Arnold in 1964, and they were together until his death in 1980.

Mia O'Hare