At 90: Beloved actress Julie Andrews announces the end of her legendary film career
Legendary actress Julie Andrews, who recently turned 90, has made it clear that she is effectively retiring from on-camera acting. In an interview with InStyle, Andrews addressed the possibility of returning for "The Princess Diaries 3," explaining that she feels it is time to pass the baton.
Legendary actress Julie Andrews, who recently turned 90, has made it clear that she is effectively retiring from on-camera acting. In an interview published this week in InStyle, Andrews addressed the possibility of returning for "The Princess Diaries 3," more than two decades after playing Queen Clarisse Renaldi alongside Anne Hathaway, and made it clear that, as far as she is concerned, it is time to pass the baton.
Andrews explained that she does not define herself as someone who has retired completely from work, but rather as someone who has moved on to a different type of activity. Today, she focuses on writing books, recording podcasts, and voice-over work. Regarding a return to on-camera roles, especially for "The Princess Diaries," her message was clear: she feels that this stage of her career is already behind her.
This means that one of the most iconic characters of the film series will not participate in the third installment, which is currently in development with Anne Hathaway, who is expected to return to her role as Mia Thermopolis.
Andrews played Queen Clarisse Renaldi in the first "The Princess Diaries" film, released in 2001, and returned to the role in the 2004 sequel. The relationship between Clarisse and her granddaughter Mia, played by Hathaway, was one of the central axes of the films. At the end of the second film, Clarisse steps down, and Mia continues on her path to the throne. Now, as the third film moves forward after years of planning, Andrews believes the story should continue to focus on Mia. The decision was not easy, but she feels that the story can and should move forward without her.
Despite this, it is not a full retirement from the entertainment world. In recent years, she has continued to work mainly using her voice. Among other things, she is known to a younger audience as the voice of Lady Whistledown in the series "Bridgerton." In fact, Andrews has not appeared in a filmed movie role since 2010, so this decision gives clear expression to a process that has been happening gradually over the years.
The decision marks another stage in a career that has spanned decades and made Andrews one of the stars most identified with the cinema and music of the 20th century. She became an international star thanks to "Mary Poppins," and later starred as Maria in "The Sound of Music" — two roles that became an inseparable part of her cinematic legacy.
For a younger generation, she became a familiar figure again thanks to "The Princess Diaries," where she played the royal grandmother who reveals to Mia that she is the heir to the throne of Genovia. Now, more than 20 years after the second film, the next chapter in the series will have to continue without her.
The third film is in development, and Anne Hathaway has already confirmed her return. Last month, Hathaway shared that the work on the story underwent a significant change and that the team reached a "breakthrough" in the plot. A release date for the film has not yet been set, and filming has not yet begun. For fans of the series, the meaning is clear: Mia is expected to return, but Queen Clarisse will not be by her side.
Andrews, for her part, is not disappearing. She is simply moving to another chapter in her career: fewer cameras and film sets, and more writing, recordings, and voice work. At 90, after a career that made her one of the most recognized actresses in Hollywood, Andrews makes it clear that the work continues — but as far as acting in front of the camera is concerned, it seems the curtain has already fallen.
