Julie Andrews Discusses Aging and Why She's Grateful for It: 'I'm Pleased That I've Arrived Here'
In 2023, Julia Louis-Dreyfus launched her podcast, Wiser Than Me. The premise was simple: With age comes wisdom — and who better to turn to for wisdom than some of the most iconic older women defining pop culture? From actresses and musicians to chefs and authors, Julia talks aging, relationships and more in each engaging conversation, and her latest chat was with none other than Hollywood icon Julie Andrews. The Mary Poppins star had plenty to say about getting older, what she’s learned and why she’s grateful to have had the opportunity to get older.
“We’re certainly not in the habit of listening to old women who have had life experience,” Louis-Dreyfus told The New York Times in a March interview. “I mean, I would posit that our culture is much more inclined to listen to the wisdom of old men, specifically old white men.”
Season 1 featured notable faces, including Jane Fonda, Fran Lebowitz, Diane von Furstenberg, Rhea Perlman and Carol Burnett, but it was her conversation with Andrews that had people really talking. Keep scrolling to find out everything Andrews had to say during her podcast interview with Louis-Dreyfus.
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Julie Andrews’ quotes about aging from her interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
The famed British starlet, known for films including The Sound of Music (1965), The Princess Diaries (2001) and more, talked about aging, how her life and career have changed over the years, curse words and beyond.
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Off the bat, the duo bonded over their shared names: “I was born and christened Julia, and it was changed to Julie when my mother remarried Ted Andrews,” Andrews explained. “And Julia Andrews didn't roll off the tongue as well as Julie. So they changed it, and I didn't know much about it at the time.”
The conversation pivoted to that of aging. When asked how old she felt, Andrews revealed that she probably feels as though she’s in her 50s.
For Andrews, there are times when she does find her age – 88 as of publication – to be troublesome, with regards to the typical aches and pains associated with getting older that might prevent her from being as active as she’d like. On the flipside, she finds there to be plenty of benefits.
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“People leave me alone, and that I rather like,” she said. “I don’t go out as much, and I love being home. But I kind of enjoyed that, pulling back a little bit now. And of course I’ve got a million thoughts and ideas and hope that I can keep going for a great deal longer. But who knows? And I’m just pleased that I’ve arrived here.”
Julie Andrews shared little-known career details
Andrews additionally went into detail about the permanent damage her vocal chords sustained due to a surgery she had when they suffered injury, citing that it led to a state of depression.
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She explained of the damage to her chords, “When you hop on one leg long enough, that leg will buckle.”
In the aftermath of the surgery, she explained of her instrument, “It wouldn't recover. It wouldn't recover. I eventually found an absolutely superb, not coach, but doctor. He cleared anything up that he could, which is why I'm able to speak and I'm not coarse. I can't sing now, though. That's the thing, and I miss it very, very, very much.”
However, always one to find the positive, Andrews recognized the other doors it opened for her, allowing her to pursue her writing career with her daughter.
As for time passing, things changing and getting older, Julie’s advice is simple: “I say aging sucks, but it doesn't really. And since there's no alternative, why bitch so much about it?”
