The Academy Award nominee, Glynis Johns, who did a wonderful job in the iconic 'Mary Poppins' as Winifred Banks, has died at the age of 100. Her manager, Mitch Clem, confirmed the news of her death to Variety. He stated that the actress died of natural causes on Thursday at an assisted living facility in Los Angeles.
“Glynis powered her way through life with intelligence, wit, and a love for performance, affecting millions of lives,” Clem said in a statement. “She entered my life early in my career and set a very high bar on how to navigate this industry with grace, class, and truth. Your own truth. Her light shined very brightly for 100 years."
"She had a wit that could stop you in your tracks powered by a heart that loved deeply and purely," he added. "Today is a somber day for Hollywood. Not only do we mourn the passing of our dear Glynis, but we mourn the end of the golden age of Hollywood.”
Born on October 5,1923, the late actress debuted onscreen at the age of 13 in 'South Riding' in 1938. As per IMDb, she has 91 onscreen credits over a career spanning six decades under her name. Her biggest milestone was the nomination for the Best Supporting Actress in 'The Sundowners' at the 1961 Academy Awards.
Just three years later, in 1964, she starred as Mrs. Banks in Walt Disney's biggest live-action achievement 'Mary Poppins,' along side Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson. As per Variety, while the selection was going on for the movie, Jones thought that she would be playing Mary Poppins. To her luck, Walt Disney requested that a song be written for her, which is now the famous 'Sister Suffragette.'
Though she is known for 'Mary Poppins,' she has made a significant contribution to Broadway musicals. She has also starred in 'Batman' TV series, 'Zelly and Me,' 'Perfect Strangers,' 'Superstar,' to name a few.
Johns turned 100 in October 2023. Despite being on the earth for a century, she had revealed in an interview with ABC7, stating that turning 100 "doesn’t make any difference to me ... I looked very good for every age."
