Glynis Johns, the Tony-winning actress remembered for playing Mrs. Banks in the classic film Mary Poppins, has died at 100.
A versatile, husky-voiced star whose career spanned eight decades, Johns was one of the last surviving actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Johns, who had recently celebrated her 100th birthday, died at an assisted living home in Los Angeles, reportedly of natural causes.
“My heart is heavy today with the passing of my beloved client Glynis Johns,” her manager Mitch Clem told The Guardian. “Glynis powered her way through life with intelligence, wit and a love for performance, affecting millions of lives.”
Johns was born October 5, 1923 in Pretoria, South Africa, the daughter of Welsh actor Mervyn Johns. Raised in England, she began performing at a young age and had early success as a ballet prodigy.
After making her big screen debut in 1938, Johns found success starring in British and American films, including 49th Parallel, The Sword and the Rose, The Court Jester and The Sundowners, for which she earned an Oscar nomination.
Her most iconic film role was in the classic 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins, in which she played the Banks children’s suffragette mother and sang the tune “Sister Suffragette.” The movie was an Oscar-winning smash hit, and Johns received a Laurel Award for her performance.
