Mary Poppins (character)

Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins character
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins in the 1964 film
First appearanceMary Poppins and the Match Man (1926)
Created byP. L. Travers
Portrayed by
Voiced by
In-universe information
OccupationNanny
Family
  • Mr. Twigley (uncle; novel canon)
  • Albert (uncle; film canon)
  • Topsy (cousin; film)
NationalityEnglish

Mary Poppins is a fictional character and the eponymous protagonist of P. L. Travers' books of the same name along with all of their adaptations. A magical English nanny, she blows in on the east wind and arrives at the Banks home at Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane, London, where she is given charge of the Banks children and teaches them valuable lessons with a magical touch.[1] Travers gives Poppins the accent and vocabulary of a real London nanny: cockney base notes overlaid with a strangled gentility.[2]

Julie Andrews, who played the character in the 1964 film adaptation, received an Academy Award for Best Actress. British film magazine Empire included Poppins (as played by Andrews) in their 2011 list of 100 greatest movie characters.[3] Acclaimed for her performance as Poppins in the 2018 sequel, Emily Blunt received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.[4] In the 2004 musical adaptation in the West End, Laura Michelle Kelly received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Poppins.

  1. ^ Joanne Shattock (1993). "The Oxford Guide to British Women Writers". p. 430. Oxford University Press, 1993.
  2. ^ "What Saving Mr Banks tells us about the original Mary Poppins". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  3. ^ "The 100 Greatest Movie Characters". Empire. 2015-10-02. Archived from the original on 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  4. ^ "Golden Globe Nominations: Complete List". Variety. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.