Julie Andrews was honored Thursday with the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award during a Gala Tribute to the Oscar-winning actress and her iconic roles throughout the years. Speaking to TheWrap, Andrews said the years-in-the-making event meant “a great deal” to her.
“I feel so blessed to be honored, and there are enormous amounts of talent out there and people should — and will — recognize all of them, but I’m very happy to be recognized tonight,” she said of the gala, which was delayed for two years as a result of the pandemic.
When asked to share the “secret of longevity” throughout her more than half-century career — which spanned lead roles in beloved films like “Mary Poppins,” “The Sound of Music” and “The Princess Diaries” — Andrews said it comprises “a lot of hard work and trying.”
“And giving — because that’s what it’s all about,” she added. “If you can make people feel great — and you cannot predict what’s gonna be a hit and what is gonna be a failure, and I’ve had both. It’s all part of that huge thing called life, I guess, and I’m very, very thrilled to be here.”
Previous Life Achievement Award honorees include Denzel Washington, George Clooney, Diane Keaton, Steve Martin, Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Al Pacino, the late Sean Connery, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and more. The award is the highest honor an individual can receive for a career in film and is bestowed on creatives who have “greatly contributed to the enrichment of American culture.”
Held on Thursday, a taped special of the event will premiere on TNT next week, June 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The event also honored Oscar-winning filmmaker Siân Heder (“CODA”) with the 2022 Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal, given to individuals who embody “talent, taste, dedication and commitment” when it comes to storytelling.
