60 years ago, Mary Poppins flew from the skies over London into the lives of the Banks children, creating a classic family film in the process. The film was an almost instant sensation upon its release and became an essential part of the Disney catalog in the decades that followed. In the years since, Mary Poppins has inspired sequels, imitations and even a parody episode of The Simpsons.

But how much do you actually know about the people behind the cult film? Read on to find out how everyone’s life changed after the credits rolled — and which cast members are still with us today.

Mary Poppins Not only was Julie Andrews’ first major film role – it is also the only film that won Andrews an Oscar for Best Actress. Although she was already known as a live theater powerhouse, Poppins made Andrews a star who could also bring musicals to life on the big screen – a reputation that grew exponentially the following year when she appeared as Maria in The sound of music.

A leading role followed in the 1967s Thoroughly modern Milliebut in the 1970s none of Andrew’s roles had the same impact. She helped remedy the situation in 1982 Victor/Victoriaa musical about an aging diva who performs a gender-bending cabaret act in 1930s Paris. The film, directed by Andrews’ husband Blake Edwards, was a hit and earned her her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress since the ’60s.

Although Andrews was unable to sing in public in the late ’90s due to botched vocal surgery, her role connected her with a new generation of fans The Princess Diaries Films and now appears as a voice actor Bridgerton.

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Mary Poppins is the absolutely rare 60s film in which both iconic leads are still with us! Before he played chimney sweep Bert, Van Dyke was already known as the star of The Dick Van Dyke Show. In the following years he played the main role in the 1968s Chitty Chitty Bang Bangas well as in several less successful comedies and appeared as a regular cast member on The Carol Burnett Show.

After spending much of the ’80s as a popular guest star on a TV drama, he got his own criminal case, Diagnosis: murderwhich ran from 1993 to 2001. In the 2000s he returned to the big screen, especially in the Night at the museum films; and in 2018 he played Mr. Dawes Jr Mary Poppins returns. Despite being nearly 100 years old, Van Dyke is always trying new things – in 2023, at the age of 97, he became the oldest person ever to compete The Masked Singer and in 2024, at 98, the oldest person to win an Emmy. He will soon celebrate his 99th birthday on December 13th.

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The daughter of two stage actors, Dotrice was drafted into the family business at the age of four and made her film debut in 1963’s The Three Lives of Thomasinanext to her Mary Poppins Brother Matthew Garber. After playing Jane Banks, she and Garber teamed up again in 1967 The Gnome Mobile. Later, oIn the 1970s she appeared on numerous British television programs. Her last film role was in 1978 The thirty-nine stepsa remake of the 1935 Hitchcock film.

Dotrice stopped acting altogether in the 1980s, later saying that this was because she was asked to do nude scenes when she felt too young; She has also since said that she regrets being a child actress and that she would take those experiences back and have a normal childhood if she could. She made a cameo appearance Mary Poppins returnsand she has done some voice acting for Disney spoken word adaptations. She now lives in California.

Of course, many cast members didn’t make it to the film’s 60th anniversary.

Tomlinson, who played the irritable but secretly sweet Mr. Banks, died on June 24, 2000 at the age of 83. Tomlinson became famous for his appearance in “ The love bug in 1969 and Bedknobs and broomsticks in 1971. He retired from acting in 1980 to spend more time with his family.

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Johns, who played the flighty suffragette Mrs. Banks, died in January 2024 at the age of 100 (!). Born in South Africa, Johns started out as a child actress and appeared on stage in a London play at the age of eight. After appearing in numerous British comedies and thrillers in the 1940s, she went to the United States, where she appeared in films such as the 1958 Lana Turner Vehicle Another time, another place, and briefly starred in her own TV show, Glynis.

Mary PoppinHowever, it was not her last achievement – she was the originator of the role of Desiree in the Broadway musical A little Night Music. The song “Send in the Clowns” was written for her, and she delivered – the role earned her a Tony for Best Actress. In the ’80s she focused on theater work, but had a memorable cameo as Diane’s mother Cheers. In the 90s she appeared in several films as a crazy grandma, most notably in “ While you were sleeping. Her last role was as a grandmother in the 1999 SNL-related film Superstar.

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Hermoine Baddeley (d. 1986)

Before she played Ellen, the Banks family maid, Baddeley had already been nominated for an Oscar for the 1959 film Room upstairs. But her greatest role may have come a decade later Mary Poppins. Baddeley won a Golden Globe in 1975 for her role in ” Maudewhere she played another maid (!). Her final film role was as the voice of Aunt Shrew in the 1982 animated film The Secrets of NIMH. She died in 1986 at the age of 79.

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Matthew Garber (d. 1977)

Garber began acting after his real-life girlfriend Karen Doltrice’s father referred him to Disney’s talent department. He appeared in three films, each a Disney film, in which he starred alongside Doltrice: 1963 The Three Lives of Thomasina; Mary Poppinswhere he played the young Michael Banks; and a 1967 named The Gnome Mobile. In 1976, Garber contracted hepatitis while traveling to India with his father. The disease spread throughout his body and he died of hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis in 1977 at the age of 21.