'Mary Poppins' Star Glynis Johns Dead at 100
Glynis Johns in a scene from the movie "Mary Poppins"
Glynis Johns, the British actress who starred as Mrs. Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins, has died. She was 100.
Johns died on Thursday, Jan. 4, as the result of "natural causes," her manager, Mitch Clem, told The Hollywood Reporter. At the time of her death, she was at an assisted living facility in the West Hollywood area, where she lived.
In addition to several other notable acting, dancing and musical gigs, Johns was known for her role as Mrs. Banks, mother to children Michael and Jane Banks in the 1964 Julie Andrews-led Disney film. The hit movie also starred Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson, the latter of whom played Johns' on-screen husband, Mr. George W. Banks.
Johns famously performs the song "Sister Suffragette" in the beloved flick and was named a Disney legend in 1998, per IMDB.
Johns was the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns, with whom she appeared in 1944's The Halfway House and 1960's The Sundowners, in which her role as Mrs. Firth earned her a best supporting actress Oscar nomination.
She was also known for roles in the 1948 film Miranda, and 1954's Mad About Men, and in 1971, she starred alongside Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1971 classic Under Milk Wood.
But Johns' career went even further than the silver screen, as she was also a Tony award winner for her performance as Desiree Armfeldt in the 1973 production of A Little Night Music.
On the small screen, Johns briefly starred in her own sitcom Glynis, though it only aired 13 episodes. She also appeared as a "guest villain" on Batman, portraying Lady Penelope Peasoup.
Her most recent credits include 1999's Superstar and 1995's While You Were Sleeping.
Johns was married four times in her life and had one son, Gareth Forwood, who died in 2007.
