Glynis Johns
Biography
Glynis Johns was a South African-born British actress, dancer, musician, and singer. She was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on October 5, 1923, while her parents were on tour, and died on January 4, 2024. She was known as a musical singer and for light comedic roles. Johns is best known for originating the role of Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for the performance, and for playing Winifred Banks in Walt Disney's musical motion picture Mary Poppins. In both roles, she sang songs written specifically for her, including Send in the Clowns, composed by Stephen Sondheim, and Sister Suffragette, written by the Sherman brothers. In 2020, following the death of Olivia de Havilland, Johns became the oldest living Academy Award nominee in any acting category.
Career overview
Glynis Johns was a South African-born British actress, dancer, musician, and singer who was born in Pretoria on October 5, 1923, while her parents were on tour, and who passed away on January 4, 2024. Known for her light comedic roles and playful flirting, she built a prolific career across film, television, and theatre, accumulating 105 known acting credits.
Johns is best known for originating the role of Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music on Broadway, a performance that earned her a Tony Award, and for portraying Winifred Banks in Walt Disney's musical motion picture Mary Poppins. In both of these iconic roles, she sang songs written specifically for her, including "Send in the Clowns", composed by Stephen Sondheim, and "Sister Suffragette", written by the Sherman brothers. Following the death of Olivia de Havilland in 2020, Johns became the oldest living Academy Award-nominee in any acting category.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Six by Sondheim (2013) as Self (archive footage)
- Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1960's (2009) as (archive footage)
- The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008) as Self
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of 'Mary Poppins' (2004) as Self
- Superstar (1999) as Grandma
- While You Were Sleeping (1995) as Elsie
- The Ref (1994) as Rose Chasseur
- The Secret Garden (1994) as Darjeeling (voice)
- Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One (1993) as Self - Interviewee
- Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988) as Ms. Grimwood (voice)
- Coming of Age (1988)
- Zelly & Me (1988) as Co-Co
- Nukie (1987) as Sister Anne
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Bridget O'Hara
- Spraggue (1984) as Aunt Mary
- The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (1984)
- Cheers (1982) as Mrs. Helen Chambers
- Little Gloria... Happy at Last (1982) as Laura Fitzpatrick Morgan
- The Love Boat (1977) as Edna Miles
- Three Dangerous Ladies (1977) as Mrs. Amworth
- Mrs. Amworth (1975) as Mrs. Amworth
- The Happy Prince (1974) as Swallow (voice)
- The Vault of Horror (1973) as Eleanor Critchit (segment 2 "The Neat Job")
- Under Milk Wood (1972) as Myfanwy Price
- Great Performances (1971) as Self
- Lock Up Your Daughters (1969) as Mrs Squeezum
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- Don't Just Stand There (1968) as Sabine Manning
- ITV Playhouse (1967) as Lorraine Barrie
- Batman (1966) as Lady Penelope Peasoup
- Dear Brigitte (1965) as Vina Leaf
- 12 O'Clock High (1964) as Jennifer Heath
- Mary Poppins (1964) as Mrs. Banks
- Burke's Law (1963) as Steffi Bernard
- The Danny Kaye Show (1963) as Self
- Vacation Playhouse (1963) as Glynis Granville
- Papa's Delicate Condition (1963) as Amberlyn Griffith
- Glynis (1963)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962) as Leah Marquand
- The Beachcomber (1962) as Rosalind Metcalf
- The Cabinet of Caligari (1962) as Jane Lindstrom
- The Chapman Report (1962) as Teresa Harnish
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Co-Host
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Sister Brigid Marie
- The Defenders (1961) as Catherine Collins
- Kraft Mystery Theatre (1961) as Clarissa Hailsham-Brown
- The DuPont Show of the Week (1961) as Emily Foster
- The Roaring 20's (1960)
- The Sundowners (1960) as Mrs. Firth
- The Spider's Web (1960) as Clarissa Hailsham-Brown
- Last of the Few (1960) as Self / Narrator
- Adventures in Paradise (1959) as Esther Holmes
- Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) as Kitty Brady
- Naked City (1958) as Miss Arlington
- Another Time, Another Place (1958) as Kay Trevor
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957) as Self
- All Mine to Give (1957) as Jo Eunson
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Winner
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) as Sporting Lady's Companion
- The Errol Flynn Theatre (1956) as The Girl
- The Errol Flynn Theatre (1956) as Lou McNamara
- Loser Takes All (1956) as Cary
- The Court Jester (1955) as Maid Jean
- Josephine and Men (1955) as Josephine Luton
- The Weak and the Wicked (1954) as Jean Raymond
- Mad About Men (1954) as Caroline Trewella / Miranda Trewella
- The Seekers (1954) as Marion Southey
- The Beachcomber (1954) as Martha Jones
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- The Sword and the Rose (1953) as Princess Mary Tudor
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Alma
- Rob Roy, The Highland Rogue (1953) as Helen Mary MacPherson MacGregor
- Personal Affair (1953) as Barbara Vining
- The Card (1952) as Ruth Earp
- The Magic Box (1952) as May Jones
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)
- No Highway in the Sky (1951) as Marjorie Corder
- Flesh and Blood (1951) as Katherine Manley
- Appointment with Venus (1951) as Nicola Fallaize
- Encore (1951) as Stella Cotman
- Lux Video Theatre (1950)
- Your Show of Shows (1950)
- State Secret (1950) as Lisa Robinson
- Helter Skelter (1949) as Miranda Trewella (uncredited)
- Third Time Lucky (1949) as Joan Burns
- Dear Mr. Prohack (1949) as Mimi Warburton
- Studio One (1948) as Lily Snape
- Miranda (1948) as Miranda Trewella
- Frieda (1947) as Judy Dawson
- An Ideal Husband (1947) as Mabel Chiltern
- This Man Is Mine (1946) as Millie
- Perfect Strangers (1945) as Dizzy Clayton
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Presenter
- The Halfway House (1944) as Gwyneth
- The Adventures of Tartu (1943) as Paula Palacek
- 49th Parallel (1941) as Anna
- The Prime Minister (1941) as Miss Sheridan (uncredited)
- The Thief of Bagdad (1940) as Princess's Maid (uncredited)
- Under Your Hat (1940) as Winnie
- The Briggs Family (1940) as Sheila Briggs
- On the Night of the Fire (1939) as Mary
- South Riding (1938) as Midge Carne
- Murder in the Family (1938) as Marjorie Osborne
- Prison Without Bars (1938) as Nina