Yahoo News Julie Andrews nearly died in iconic Mary Poppins scene
Dame Julie Andrews may have looked practically perfect in every way as she descended in that iconic Mary Poppins umbrella scene, but the actress has just admitted she almost died filming it.
The Oscar-winning star made the confession while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, explaining that the stunts from the classic 1964 Disney movie were quite dangerous to create.
Host Stephen asked: "These were all practical effects, you were on wires and stuff?" And Julie replied: "Yes, there was a very dangerous day right at the end of filming when I was in this excruciatingly painful harness.
"And I was hanging around up there for the longest time with the umbrella. I thought I felt the wire leave and drop about six inches. I was nervous and very tired.
"So I called down and I said, 'Excuse me, when you do let me down, could you let me down really gently, because I felt myself slip and I just don't feel too safe up here.'"
She then revealed that she "plummeted to the stage", continuing: "There was an awful silence for a minute and I did let fly with a few Anglo-Saxon four-letter words, I have to admit."
The veteran Hollywood actress - who won an Academy Award for her role in the film - joked that they filmed the stunts at the end, just in case she was involved in a tragic accident.
Mary Poppins is soon to be revived in Rob Marshall's Mary Poppins Returns, with Emily Blunt playing the titular lead.
Emily previously revealed that she's had the "stamp of approval" from Julie, recalling: "Rob said he was in the Hamptons, and he saw [Julie], and he said, 'It's top secret, but Emily Blunt's playing Mary Poppins.' And she went, 'Oh, wonderful!'
"I felt like I wanted to cry. It was lovely to get her stamp of approval. That took the edge off it, for sure."
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