Glynis Johns: Mary Poppins Star and Original Voice of Send In the Clowns

Glynis Johns was a Welsh-South African actress, singer and dancer best known as Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins and as the original star of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. Born on October 5, 1923, in Pretoria, South Africa, she was the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns and built a career that lasted more than seven decades.

Johns won the National Board of Review Award for 49th Parallel in 1942 and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for The Sundowners in 1961. She played Winifred Banks in Disney's Mary Poppins in 1964 and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1973 for A Little Night Music. Sondheim wrote "Send In the Clowns" with her in mind for that production.

Johns was married four times and had one son, Gareth Forwood, who died in 2007. She died in Los Angeles on January 4, 2024, at age 100. She was buried in Burry Port, Wales, beside her father. Remembered for her husky voice and gift for comedy, she was among the last stars of Hollywood's golden age.

Achievements: Won the National Board of Review Award for 49th Parallel (1942), earned an Oscar nomination for The Sundowners (1961), played Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins (1964), won the Tony Award for A Little Night Music (1973).

Birth: October 5, 1923 - Pretoria, South Africa.

Profession: Actress, singer and dancer.

Interesting Facts: Her father, Mervyn Johns, was a well-known actor, and her stepmother was actress Diana Churchill. Her distinctive voice inspired Sondheim to write a song suited to her limited singing range.