Listen Again: Julia Gets Wise with Julie Andrews

Summary

Wiser Than Me™ Season 3, Episode: "Listen Again: Julia Gets Wise with Julie Andrews"

Release Date: August 13, 2025
Host: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Guest: Dame Julie Andrews

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In the season finale of Season 3, Julia Louis-Dreyfus sits down with the legendary Dame Julie Andrews, marking the culmination of a season filled with insightful conversations with extraordinary older women. The episode promises a blend of humor, heartfelt moments, and profound wisdom.

2. Celebrating Julie Andrews' Iconic Career

Julia begins by reminiscing about her lifelong admiration for Julie Andrews, highlighting her enduring love for The Sound of Music.
Julia (00:01):
"I've seen it more than I've seen any other movie. I mean, I've seen it dozens of times."
Julie acknowledges her extensive career, reflecting on her beginnings in vaudeville and her transition to Broadway and Hollywood. Julia marvels at Julie's versatility, from originating roles in My Fair Lady and Camelot to her unforgettable performance as Mary Poppins.
Julie (09:00):
"I've been working professionally since I was just 10 years old...and I'm still working today."

3. The Reality of Aging with Grace and Humor

The conversation delves into aging, where Julie shares her perspective on the joys and challenges it brings. She candidly discusses how aging has led her to cherish solitude and has allowed her to focus on her passions like writing and gardening.
Julia (10:28):
"What do you think is the best part of being your age, Julie?"
Julie (10:28):
"The best part is to a certain extent, people leave me alone. And that I rather like."
Julia and Julie exchange humorous banter about cursing, revealing a lighter side to Julie often unseen in her roles.
Julie (12:20):
"On an average every day there's a couple of shits that pop in."
Julia (14:00):
"It's fuck."

4. Overcoming Vocal Challenges and Embracing New Talents

A pivotal moment in the interview is when Julie discusses her vocal challenges, including surgery that altered her singing capabilities. She poignantly narrates how this setback led her to explore new avenues like writing with her daughter, Emma.
Julie (48:47):
"It led to my finding a new life, which is the one with my daughter and writing."
Julia (51:58):
"What advice would you say to those who are trying to, you..."
Julie (52:32):
"Find what you love, keep doing something. Because women of my age can keep being useful, that really can keep giving pleasure."

5. The Depth of Friendships and Family Bonds

Julie shares anecdotes about her enduring friendship with Carol Burnett, emphasizing the importance of loyal and supportive relationships. The dialogue underscores how strong friendships contribute to personal well-being and longevity.
Julie (43:51):
"We bonded tremendously straight away...and we laugh a lot."
Julia (47:25):
"Is there any advice you might have to give to people who are listening to this, to younger people about cultivating and maintaining friendships..."
Julie (47:56):
"I just think it's great...I just think it's such a good fortune."

6. Personal Reflections and Life Lessons

Julie reflects on her tumultuous upbringing and how it shaped her resilience and passion for performing. She emphasizes the importance of giving back and finding joy in helping others through the arts.
Julie (28:24):
"They have physical love and adoration and admiration... there's so many phases that one goes through."
Julia (32:39):
"The lyrics for that tune are great, aren't they?"
Julie (33:07):
"If you can find your way into a song...it can be enormously helpful."

7. Interactions with Julia’s Mother, Judy Bowles

Towards the end of the episode, Julia connects with her mother, Judy Bowles, who shares her own experiences with hearing loss and the parallel journey of finding new passions through adversity. This heartfelt segment highlights the mutual wisdom exchanged between generations.
Judy (66:02):
"It equipped me to know that these wonderful things that we have, that we take for granted, that we have..."
Julia (69:26):
"You understand it."
Judy (70:16):
"Women to do... it's such a wonderful thing."

8. Concluding Wisdom and Future Aspirations

As the conversation winds down, Julie imparts final pieces of advice for embracing aging with positivity and looking forward to future endeavors like directing and writing. She emphasizes the importance of love, laughter, and continual personal growth.
Julie (59:54):
"Finally learning the pleasure of singing and giving it back to others."
Julie (60:11):
"I would say if you're passionate, do your homework... it's all about doing your homework and then giving."

Notable Quotes:

• Julie Andrews (10:28):
  "The best part is to a certain extent, people leave me alone."

• Julie Andrews (52:32):
  "Find what you love, keep doing something. Because women of my age can keep being useful, that really can keep giving pleasure."

• Judy Bowles (66:02):
  "It equipped me to know that these wonderful things that we have, that we take for granted, that we have..."

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Conclusion: This episode of Wiser Than Me™ offers an intimate glimpse into the life and wisdom of Dame Julie Andrews. Through candid conversations, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Julie Andrews explore themes of aging, resilience, friendship, and personal growth, providing listeners with both inspiration and heartfelt moments.

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Note: Advertisements and non-content sections from the transcript have been intentionally omitted to focus solely on the core conversation and insights shared during the episode.

Transcript

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Hey, listeners. It's me, Julia. We're back for season three of Wiser Than Me. And we have so much more wisdom to share from the legendary older women who have joined me this season. I can't tell you the number of times when I'm having these conversations. I find myself scrambling for, like, a piece of paper or a napkin or whatever I can find on my desk to quickly jot down some nugget that my guest is sharing in our conversation. I mean, you've probably had the same experience, right? Well, guess what? Problem solved. We have created brand new Wiser Than Me notebooks with fun sayings on the COVID like get wise or wise up so you can keep all your newfound wisdom in one place. We just added these groovy hardcover notebooks to our merch shop. To buy yours, head over to wiser than me shop.com today. Lemonade I am a hiker. I'm somebody who likes to get out on a trail, in the hills, in the mountains, or along the beach, just out in nature. It's an activity that brings me an enormous amount of solace, of joy, peace of mind. Hiking can really change my mindset. In fact, as I'm saying this, I realize I've really got to get out there right now and move, which I'm gonna do right after we record. There is something about walking and looking at the natural world and feeling and smelling the world around me. Smells are important to me, too. My memories are really full of smells for real. Where I live in California, we have seasons. Believe it or not, they're subtle, but we do have seasons that change. And the smells in the air, from the trees and all the shrubbery, the chaparral, changes from season to season, from month to month. And I love that. The pittosporum, the ceanothus, the jasmine that blooms at night. I mean, one night you can't smell it at all, and then the next night, it's almost dizzyingly sweet. Sweet. The orange blossoms, which just are California to me. The eucalyptus and the boxwood. Oh, well, I can't smell boxwood without thinking of my dad. My dear dad. These smells, you know, they wax and wane from month to month, from year to year, but they're also wonderful. And I find that if I'm having a hard time or if I'm anxious or if I'm trying to figure something out to get out of my head and to free up my brain, I really need to move in the outdoors. This, to a certain extent, has always been true for me. But as I've gotten older, it's only become more and more true. My favorite thing to do is to go on a hiking trip. We did that last year with family and friends. We went to the Dolomites in Italy and we hiked thousands of vertical feet and many, many miles a day. And it was super hard and it was as good as it gets. And another benefit of being out walking or hiking in the natural world, beyond the self searching and meditative stuff, is that it is a great opportunity for convers can flow in a way that it just might not otherwise. I think maybe that's because you're both looking forward and you're not looking at each other, that it sort of allows a kind of openness and maybe a deeper form of honesty. The ritual of walking and breathing at a pace together is just conducive to a more intimate conversation. And in fact, it was on a hike with my college roommate and dearest friend Paula that we first discussed the idea for this very podcast and how to do it and what it might be like and how it would be devised and who it would be fun to talk to and where do we get the microphones from and. And what button is record? You know, all of this. And now look, here we are, we're finishing up our second season of being inspired and roused by all these mind blowing old ladies. I mean, seriously, who'd have thunk it? Something happens moving through the natural world, something deep rooted, something. They say that mountains are nature's cathedral, and I do think that's true. You know, maybe the hills really are alive with the sound of music or with something otherworldly, something sacred and what divine. Mary Oliver has so many great poems about moving through nature. And this is one called why I Wake Early. Hello sun in my face. Hello you who make the morning and spread it over the fields and into the faces of the tulips and the nodding morning glories and into the windows of even the miserable and crotchety. Best preacher that ever was. Dear star, that just happens to be where you are in the universe. To keep us from ever darkness, to ease us with warm touching, to hold us in the great hands of light. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Watch now how I start the day in happiness, in kindness. Boy, that Mary Oliver, I'll tell you. Yeah, the hills really are alive. How fitting then that for the last episode of this season, we get to talk to Julie Andrews. Hi, I'm Julia Louis Dreyfus and this is Wiser Than Me, the podcast where I get schooled by women who are wiser than me. I was just four years old when the Sound of Music premiered in 1965. And for those of you listening who were not Alive in the 60s, we didn't have Netflix or Disney plus or Max or whatever. We didn't even have DVDs or VHS, which meant that if you wanted to watch a movie, you actually had to go to see it in the theaters. Well, lucky for me, the Sound of Music was basically always playing when I was growing up, which meant I got to go to the theater and see it as much as I wanted to, which was a lot. I simply couldn't get enough. I've seen it more than I've seen any other movie. I mean, I've seen it dozens of times. I saw it last week, for God's sakes. Most people have to think really hard for a minute to come up with their favorite movie, but not me. Sound of Music. That's it. And it's been since I can remember. Why do I love it so much? Well, for starters, it was the soundtrack of my childhood. So, yeah, it is a little hard for me to believe today's conversation is even happening, because today we get to talk to the woman behind that incredible voice and performance. I mean, are we lucky or what? Actually, are we lucky or what is the motto our guest lives by, according to her daughter? She'll even say it under the worst of circumstances, like in the middle of a thunderstorm when the power goes out. But a whole lot more than luck has shaped this glorious woman's incomparable career. She's been working professionally since she was just 10 years old, performing in a vaudeville act with her family, singing all over England, even performing at age 13 for King George the sixth and the future Queen Elizabeth. She originated the leading roles in the Broadway productions of My Fair lady and Camelot, the latter of which put her in front of the eyes of Walt Disney himself, who cast her in the iconic role of Mary Poppins. And off she went to do all these other incredible films. SOB Victor, Victoria, the Americanization of Emily, and, of course, there's the Sound of Music. And lucky for us, she's still working today. She's a prolific author who's written dozens of children's books with her daughter Emma, and continues to star in some of the most beloved family films in history, like Princess Diaries and Shrek. You'll even hear her voice as Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton on Netflix. So I am a little overcome that today I'll be talking to the Academy Award Winning, Emmy winning, Grammy winning BAFTA winning song herself, a true English rose, the star of my favorite movie, a woman who is so much wiser than me, Dame Julie Andrews. Hi, Julie.

[Julie Andrews]

Hello, my dear. How are you?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I'm so good. I'm so good.

[Julie Andrews]

I'm very happy to meet you, my dear.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, I'm so happy to meet you too.

[Julie Andrews]

I've never had as good an introduction as that. Thank you so much. Julia, a fellow name. A name that is actually my name too. I was born and christened Julia and it was changed to Julie when my mother remarried Ted Andrews. And Julia Andrews didn't roll off the tongue as well as Julie. Yes, so they changed it and I didn't know much about it at the time, but.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Do people call you Julia ever?

[Julie Andrews]

No, Only maybe great aunts and people like that. Yes, mostly. No, I'm Julia and have been for a long, long time.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, it suits you.

[Julie Andrews]

Are you at home?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I am at home.

[Julie Andrews]

And where is that?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I'm in Santa Barbara, California.

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, no. Then you know my chum Carol very well.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes, you know my chum Carol very well. We've become friends, as a matter of fact.

[Julie Andrews]

She's adorable and is such a great friend.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, well, we'll talk about that. So, Julie, are you comfortable if I ask your real age?

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah, I don't mind at all. I'm, I, I am, I believe, 88.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And how old do you feel?

[Julie Andrews]

Well, I probably feel like in my 50s. Honest to God, as long as the brain holds out, I'm doing okay, you know? And I don't feel bad at all. No.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, what do you think is the best part of being your age, Julie?

[Julie Andrews]

I don't know. There are times when it's a nuisance and I want to do well. I want to do more and I want to exercise more and all of those things, but with the accompanying sort of aches and pains. I bitch a lot about it, but I. Actually, the best part is to a certain extent, people leave me alone. And that I rather like, because otherwise. But I mean, I'm being slightly facetious.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

No, that's fine. You can just let it all hang out. I love it.

[Julie Andrews]

Thank you, thank you.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But wait a minute. When you say they leave you alone, what does that actually in fact mean? Because of your age, what does that mean?

[Julie Andrews]

No, it's because I don't do as much, I don't go out as much. And I love being home and so life is quieter these days. But I kind of enjoy that pulling back a little bit now and of course, I got a million thoughts and ideas and hope that I can keep going for a great deal longer, but who knows? And I'm just pleased that I've arrived here.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, I'm so pleased you've arrived here too. You know, the. When we were putting together a wish list to have these conversations with various people, you were absolutely at the top of that wish list. So I want to just take a breath and say thank you again for being here today, because I admired you my entire life.

[Julie Andrews]

Well, I'm thrilled to have been asked, Julia. And it's a lovely medium to be on and to see your face and you're seeing mine. And yet here we are in our privately. In our homes.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes, exactly.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah. Are we lucky or what?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That's exactly right. Now listen, I was so pleased, Julie, to discover that you love cursing. You're a cursor, am I right?

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You're very body quite free.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And I honestly, I myself, I mean, I feel to a certain extent that I've kind of built half of my career on that. And I even cursed once in front of Elmo on Sesame street back in the day. Do you have a favorite curse word?

[Julie Andrews]

No, not really. I mean, on an average every day there's a couple of shits that pop in, but more.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, God.

[Julie Andrews]

What? Favorite curse word? Yeah, my mother had a beautiful curse word because she was. She was much bawdier and alive than I was or am. But because of the times and because she was raised, as they say in cockney, she was brung up improper. She would say, oh, peepo bum drawers meaning knickers. So p, obviously po meaning the commode and bum being your backside and drawers being your knickers. So it resonated. I don't say it. I just remember it vividly. And I would laugh always.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That's hilarious. And what's particularly funny is that it seems so benign to me.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah, it does to me.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Right?

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah. But I mean, I'm not. I don't go into it much. I don't think I curse as much as everybody else thinks I do. And maybe because it's Mary Poppins uttering whatever I utter. And I go at it whenever I need to, but I think that's the surprise. Really?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes, I think so. Because you played so many so called good girl characters.

[Julie Andrews]

Mm. What's your go to word, Julie?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, well, come on, Julie. It's fuck.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah, well, I do have some of this. Mostly, I guess. Mostly it's shit, isn't it?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

With me you're not that bad. You're not like me. No, no, no, it's true. I'm very bad. And, you know, I did a show called Veep, and there was a lot. It was very sweary show. But, you know, of course, the Brits use certain words that Americans are taken aback by. You know the ones I'm talking about.

[Julie Andrews]

I know they do. Yeah. Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So I won't. I think I won't utter those words today, but, you know, the ones I'm talking about for female anatomy and I. It really became a part of my vocabulary after a couple of years in their presence, I have to say.

[Julie Andrews]

Well, that's very useful. Sometimes I really do think.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, yeah, I think it is, too. But, you know, it's funny that you say that. I think that maybe you just utter a shit and people are probably. Maybe it takes their breath away. Because, of course, all the characters you play were very sort of Pollyanna types, to a certain extent. Good girls. Exactly. In what ways do you think that good girl image has served you or has gotten in your way? If you were gonna say, that's a good question.

[Julie Andrews]

I think to the extent that I began to be typecast for my image, and it's so far from the truth. I mean, I'm a much. I know I'm a much more bawdy broad, as they used to say, than Mary Poppins or whatever, but it's now of no consequence because I've done enough. That's different.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes, indeed.

[Julie Andrews]

And I think enough people know me that I'm not that prim and proper. Of course I'm not. Although my voice sometimes gets in the way or gives me away. One of the two.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, exactly. I mean, are you a rebel? Are you a nonconformist? You Julie Andrews?

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, I hope so. I do. Yeah, I am, I think. But not to the extent. I mean, as Eliza Doolittle used to say. Oh, a good girl. I am. And I kind of know when to be a rebel and when not to be. I like to be a family when working. I'm sure you do, too, Julia. It's so lovely to have great collaborators and great people around you and all of that.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And when you find them, you must cling to them, don't you think?

[Julie Andrews]

Think. I think so, Yes, I do.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Keep them in your orbit.

[Julie Andrews]

Yes.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

For real.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah. Because it's very, very good. And as you have pointed out on one or two podcasts, I think now that laughter is, yeah, obviously phenomenal, but it's such a joy and it frees you up so much. And if you can be really healthily anything from bawdy to laughing your head off or weeping with laughter, that's where I land. I think.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, that's the best possible place to be, isn't it? I mean, all sorts of endorphins, I think, are released. I mean, it's actually a physical reality that laughing is a release. It's a release and it's good physically for the body.

[Julie Andrews]

It is good. And I think weeping too is. But sometimes when the two get combined, I get helpless. I mean, I laugh so hard and I weep so much at the idiocy of what I'm hearing. And. But really. But of course, I was married for 43 years to Blake, Blake Edwards. And if you don't laugh with that man, then you better get out of the room. You know, he made me laugh so hard sometimes.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, I'm sure.

[Julie Andrews]

And I, I think that it's partially what held our marriage together. The great laughter.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

We'll get more wisdom from Julie Andrews after this super quick break. Stay tuned. Hey prime members, did you know you can listen to Wiser Than Me ad free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today to start listening ad free. Let's talk about the beauty industry's dirty little secret. A shocking amount of what ends up in our makeup bags contains questionable ingredients. Oh, and they're often tested on animals, too. That's why Thrive Cosmetics is such a breath of fresh air. They don't just have great products, they are proof you don't need unsavory ingredients to create high performance makeup. Their 100% vegan clean formulas deliver real results like a tubing mascara that won't smudge, cream formulas that don't settle, and skin care makeup hybrids that genuinely hydrate. The brilliant eye brightener is a creamy stick that does exactly what you wish your makeup would. A dab in the inner corners makes you look so fresh and rested. And the metallic shades, they give that smoky eye effect without the fallout or the harshness. Thrive's brilliant eye brightener comes in 31 shades. There's one for every skin tone and need. And like all Thrive cosmetics, it's packed with skin loving ingredients that won't irritate sensitive eyes. Every Thrive Cosmetics purchase does double duty. You get luxury vegan makeup and your order helps support a different, worthy cause such as survivors of cancer and domestic violence. To date, they've donated over $150 million worth of products and funding to organizations helping these communities discover your new trusty favorite from Thrive cosmetics Luxury beauty that gives back. Right now you can get an exclusive 20 off your first order at thrivecosmetics.com wiser that's Thrive Cosmetics C-A U S E M E T I C S.com wiser for 20% off your first order Airbnb has amazing homes all over the world ready for you to stay in them. Why wait for someday when your next great vacation could be just a few bookings away? With Airbnb, you can turn that spare room, empty nest or vacation ready guest house into your own personal travel fund. Just imagine it. You return from hiking in Patagonia or running with the bulls in Spain to find your Airbnb earnings have already paid for your next long weekend in wine country. Whether you want to host full time or just when you're traveling, the system works for you. Set competitive prices with one click, meet fascinating global travelers and enjoy the easiest side hustle you'll ever have. It's smart passive income designed for people who'd rather be savoring life than managing logistics. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host this episode of Wiser Than Me is supported by Beringer Ingelheim, the maker of Nexgard Plus Afoxylaner, Moxidectin and Pyrantel chewable tablets. Would you do anything for your dog? Of course you would. Whether you're planning a dog birthday party or finding the perfect sweater booty combo to keep your pup warm, prioritizing your furry friend's happiness is always the wise thing to do. And although every person's dog care style is different, there's one thing everyone can agree on that your dog's well being is always a top priority. And one super simple way to prioritize their well being is with nexguard Chews, which provide them with next level protection from parasites. Nexguard plus Chews provide one and done monthly protection that kills fleas and ticks and prevents heartworm disease. And the big plus here is that it also treats and controls roundworms and hookworms. It's a whole lot of protection packed into a delicious beef flavored soft chew. So why not make that monthly dosing easy and enjoyable? One more important note, use Nexgard plus with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. Dogs should be tested for existing heartworm infection prior to starting a preventive. Stay wise with next level protection for your dog. And remember, the next time you're at the vet, ask about Nexgard plus choose. Do you think that I want to talk about sort of the idea of not showing off and the idea of humility and being humble? Do you think that there's an expectation of humility that can impact a woman's sort of ability to assert themselves or negotiate for themselves? Is that.

[Julie Andrews]

I'm not sure about that part of it. I think. I think that my mom, who was very much bawdier and more alive than I seem to be, but she used to say, there's always somebody around that can do it better than you, and so do good things and be grateful, because there are so many people that have talent but don't get the breaks, and that don't. And that's, I think, where I land mostly. And it's all a learning experience. I'm still learning.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You know, I was interested that you said that you hid your Oscar for Mary Poppins in the attic for a while, and I was wondering, did you feel you didn't deserve it?

[Julie Andrews]

Probably, yes. I think that's true. I didn't want to show off. I was very new to this lovely craft that we're all in, and in terms of movies and things. And also, I did have a hunch maybe that perhaps it was given in lieu of not getting the role of Eliza in the movie of My Fair Lady. And I had been passed up for that, and I understood it perfectly well. But of course, it made me sad that I couldn't have a good crack at it on film, though I'd never done a movie before when I made Mary Poppins. So thank goodness Walt saw something that was appropriate for Mary. And I didn't mind not doing My Fair lady, but I wish I'd had a chance of some kind to put it down on record. I did do excerpts on television and on different shows, but it would have been fun and interesting to see what became of Eliza Dolittle when, if I had been in, you know, mind you, I was in the show for about three and a half years. Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So you felt like, to a certain extent, you owned it. It was. You felt the character you were playing, you gave your heart and soul to it.

[Julie Andrews]

Well, it took me a long time to get there, but, I mean, I had a long time to get there. And, yeah, it was something like that, but I really felt that, in a way, the Academy was generous enough to honor me for Poppins, because in a way, it was saying, you should have got the other one or something like that. There was so much talk about it at the time. So I Kind of hid the Oscar away. Didn't want to show off. Didn't want to parade it in my office or anything like that.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But I hope it's out of the attic. Is it?

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, yeah, it is. Yes. I mean, I was absolutely thrilled and my mother was terribly thrilled, but I think I was very grateful, too. It was a beautiful beginning, and I couldn't have been more welcomed.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So your acceptance speech, by the way, is divine.

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, you know how to spoil a girl.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, right.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah. And Americans do. I didn't mean to say you Americans, but. Yeah, that's right. But it. I felt that they really do.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So, by the way, your memoir is so beautiful.

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, thanks.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Really beautiful.

[Julie Andrews]

You've done your homework. My gosh.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes. Well, we take this seriously. I mean, you take the time to talk to us. We want to take the time to come at you with, you know, thoughtful stuff based on what you've done.

[Julie Andrews]

Thank you.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But in your memoir, you said something that struck me that I thought was interesting. You describe your childhood self as being bossy.

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, that's easy.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Tell me, what ways were you bossy?

[Julie Andrews]

Well, I had three brothers and I was the eldest child, so of course they thought me bossy. And because my parents were in showbiz and traveled a lot and were away a lot, I usually ended up being the head honcho in the family when they were away because I was the eldest. And so I think bossy was give. I was given that name by then probably more than anybody else. But, yeah, I can be a bit bossy. But only, you know, we get a reputation for that. And yet it's only in search of something being as good as it possibly can and it's not being bossy.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah. I'm sure you feel that way.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I do. I think I'm probably very bossy. In fact, I'm sure of it. I'm sure that my husband would say.

[Julie Andrews]

You don't look very bossy.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I can be very tough.

[Julie Andrews]

How long have you been married?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I've been married for, wait, 36 years. 37 actually. Coming up. Yeah. So good. Quite a. Quite a while.

[Julie Andrews]

Quite an achievement, too. Yes, it is.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, it is. I'm proud. Although I also am like, oh, my God, that's so long.

[Julie Andrews]

It's like, yeah, but in a way, you go through so many phases in a marriage.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Boy, I'll say. Yeah.

[Julie Andrews]

You know, there's. They have physical love and adoration and admiration, and then there comes the. The kind of understanding love and then the tolerant love and the understanding of your mate more. And it just. There's so many phases that one goes through, I feel. And I don't know how Blake and I managed it, but we did. And I also admired him very much. And as I say, he made me laugh. And anybody that does that is great in my book is a keeper.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But, Julie, you had a pretty chaotic upbringing with your family battling poverty and alcoholism.

[Julie Andrews]

Well, you have to remember, Julia, I didn't know anything else. It's what was handed to me. And it became. I became so incredibly fortunate. I thank God for the gift of singing and a singing voice. I had a phenomenal teacher who was with me until she passed away, and I had such unbelievable help that I think age is about passing on, teaching what you know, in a gentle way or set. I don't think it's exactly setting an example, but I'd love to and hope to do one of those podcasts that are a class A masterclass. And I'm talking about that because I thought in terms of performing and particularly with lyrics and using them well and so on, there's a number of. Of wonderful ways to do that. And I'd love to pass that on to young singers who are very talented but don't have that extra bullet in their gun, if you know what I'm saying.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What is that extra bullet, Julie? Is it about absorbing the lyrics and acting them?

[Julie Andrews]

Well, every song is. I mean, I can't sing a song that doesn't have good lyrics and that sounds very stupid. But for instance, remember, this is. I don't mean to put it down. It's a pretty melody. But remember feelings, oh, whoa, whoa, Feelings. Well, I couldn't do that song. I wasn't good at doing the oh woe woes and things like that. I had to find a way to delve into the song and find out what it meant. And I once couldn't sing a song. It was a blues song called Come Rain or Come Shine, which I'm sure you know and which I am Adore. It's Harold Arlen and you know I'm going to love you like nobody's loved me. And my tutor one day said, I said, I It's not my kind of song. I don't sing sort of bluesy or that kind of deep song. And she said, make it about the theater now think of the lyrics. And oh my God, it changed my life. Isn't that wonderful of her? And so, wow. I said, oh. And so, you know, I'm going to be true if you let me. I'M you know, come rain or come shut in or the way out of the money. But I'm with you always. Come, Rayna. I mean, it couldn't be more appropriate to being in this wonderful business. And I know you'll get exactly what I mean.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So that kind of thing, what you mean.

[Julie Andrews]

And if you can find your way into a song, if it's something else, but you make it a song about how you feel about your husband when he's standing at the dresser after his shower or something like that, it brings into it. If you make that. If you take it on and adopt that attitude, it's very, very helpful.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, it's an acting exercise, is really what you're describing.

[Julie Andrews]

Of course, it's all about the. I'm big on lyrics. I've directed a few things which I've loved doing. And to see young people and talented people suddenly grasp that if you just emphasize that word or think about it, let's go and do that again, and so on. It can be enormously helpful and was to me over the years, you know, it's all learning, and you never stop.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, now I'm jumping around here because since we're talking about lyrics recently, just a couple days ago, I watched Sound of music for the 3,000th time, happily so. And I was so struck because, first of all, my favorite things. The lyrics for that tune are great, aren't they? Yes. And what I was so struck. Struck by was the lyrics are like a basis for a gratitude practice, almost like cognitive behavioral therapy.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad and.

[Julie Andrews]

But also picking your favorite things or remembering them, as you say, identifying. All of that. Yes. Mind you, when I did that, and I don't mean to cop out, but that was my second movie, and so I didn't know as much about it as I do now. And I wish that I'd known some of the things I know now, but.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Except, Julie, in that performance that you gave, I hear what you're saying, that perhaps you weren't thinking of it quite like that then, but your instinct when you performed that song and how you absorbed it conveyed that, regardless. It really did.

[Julie Andrews]

Our music director, Sol Chaplin, a very lovely guy who worked hand in glove with Robert Wise, our director, he said, why don't we try reciting the first two lines? You know, raindrops on roses. Oh, and whiskers on. Then the orchestra comes in. And I was so grateful to him because it was exactly what I thought should be done. But he Said, go with it. And the orchestrator went with it. And it sort of brought the song from dialogue into music in a lovely way.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes, it was seamless. Absolutely seamless. And the same, by the way, is true. Not to harp too much on this, but in the Sound of Music, the themes of nature. Actually, the themes of nature throughout the entire film are.

[Julie Andrews]

That's very much where Oscar Hammerstein was. I mean, he. All his songs have. Have birds and nature brought into them. I mean, to be truthful. No, it's not very. It's churlish of me. One of the lyrics that I couldn't wrap my head around, the only one in the entire film, was like a lark who is learning to pray. And that was a little. And so I rushed through it as quickly as I can and got on to the next line or the next stanza, because I don't know how to say that, but.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But let me ask you a question. Is that because it didn't make sense to you?

[Julie Andrews]

Yes. Yeah. Because I thought it was a bit sort of, you know, artsy, fartsy and. But Oscar loved to write like that and set the pattern for that and trained Sondheim and all those brilliant composers. And Sondheim ran with that, but just came up with such as stringent lyrics that were. He is, I think, my. Almost one of my favorite lyricists. He is my favorite lyricist. Forget about it. He is.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

He is. He's absolutely incredible. I think that is so amazing that that one phrase in this is the.

[Julie Andrews]

One I got stuck on.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You got stuck on it and you blew past it. And that's good. And it's about the natural world, that tune. It's about the value of being in nature. You know what the Japanese often call forest bathing, again, sort of a practice.

[Julie Andrews]

Do they really? I've never heard that.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes. Isn't it marvelous?

[Julie Andrews]

No, that's wonderful. Yeah, I get it.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

This whole notion of being out in the wilderness. It's a forest bath and that we all must do it. That tune absolutely speaks to that. And I know that your life in the natural world, you have a huge bond with Switzerland, and I do, and.

[Julie Andrews]

Also my garden and what I put in my garden. And I can't wait for spring this year because with all this rain, it's going to look beautiful. My daffodils will come out and my bluebells will come out. And I try to. Not in an obsessive way, but I like to kind of plan a succession of things that I can look forward to blossoming and so on. Love all that, Julie.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

We have that in common because I do the same. I have. My daffodils are coming up now. My bluebell. Yes. And I have daffodils and narcissus. And then when they peter out, my bluebells will come up and it's a.

[Julie Andrews]

Blue world, isn't it? And when the. Yes, lovely. I'm so pleased, Julia. That's so special. I'm glad we have that in common.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Tell me about your life in Switzerland. How much time do you spend there and what do you do when you're there? I'm dying to know.

[Julie Andrews]

Well, Blake and I. I have had a chalet there, oh, for 60 years. Maybe now, just after we first met, we took a vacation with our kids. Not just after, but, you know, when we were really a team and beginning to be a family. And we fell in love with this beautiful place called Gstaad in Switzerland. And the. The beauty of it is stunning. I mean, stunning. And you talk about wildflowers blooming and things like that. My dad was a great lover also of nature. And so my real dad, that is, or the man I thought was my real dad, but he taught me so much about tree. He could out. He could see the outline of a tree in winter and know what it was, and I could not do that. And I've been trying ever since, and can't. He'd say, oh, that's a lime tree, or that's a such and such tree, but it didn't have a blossom on it, you know.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So you said the man that you thought was your real dad. So. Your real dad.

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, no. My mom, when I was about 14, said to me we'd gone to some kind of event, and a man sat and talked to me for quite a while, and obviously it had been planned. And on the way home, she said, did you like him? And I said, yeah, okay. It struck me as odd that he spent as much time on me at this odd party. And she said, well, he was your dad. In fact, Julie and I could feel this freight train coming at me. But in fact, it all worked out pretty well because there was nothing I could do about it. And he always sent me a loving Christmas card, but didn't interfere at my request because I didn't know whether the man I thought was my dad knew after he passed away. It transpires that he did, and it didn't make any difference. And I wish he and I could have talked about it more, but I loved him so much for that. He was a darling and he was a. He absolutely was a countryman. And the man I thought was my real dad and I had vacations with him and all of that, because, in truth, he was my dad. He raised me. He raised me, you know, the man that I thought was my dad. Yeah. I mean, whenever I could see him, I did.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And what would that conversation have been like had you been able to talk to him, do you think?

[Julie Andrews]

Well, I don't know. I just know that I think it would have made an even more understand on my part, even more love for him once I found out my love knew no bounds because he was so generous and had no compunction in taking me on and was so proud of me and never ever let me feel that I wasn't his daughter. And since I didn't know he was my dad and he did raise me. So, truthfully, that's where I arrived eventually. But the man that raised me, he was a lovely nature man. And he too, would drive me to certain places in the country where the bluebells were rampant and. And he, oddly enough, like a lark who's learning to pray, he took me up a hill near where he used to live in Surrey, the county of Surrey in England. And he. He said one night I. He collected me from the theater, walked me down to spend a weekend with him, and he said, I want you to hear something. And he got me out of the car at the crest of the hill and said. And he took me to a five barred gate, a big country gate, and said, now listen. And nightingales all over the South Downs were singing. And you can imagine how magical that was. And that's the kind of nature man he. He was. And he taught me, I think, my love of books, my love of writing, you know, 76. This man that I thought was my dad went back to college and got a degree in German at 76. I mean, he was an amazing man. He said, well, I got to do something. I got to use my brain. And he was loved and loved poetry.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

He got a degree in German, you said speaking German. Speaking German. So he took on a new language at 76. That's extraordinary. It's extraordinary.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah, that's right.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

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[Julie Andrews]

I heard her. I heard her and I love her so much.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Isn't she divine?

[Julie Andrews]

Yes, she is. And honest and real and unbelievably talented. I mean, I admire her so much.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I do too.

[Julie Andrews]

And she makes me better, which is odd. She brings out the worst in me, the most bawdy in me. I do not know why, but she does. And we laugh a lot.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, what is it about her that you connected with when you first met?

[Julie Andrews]

We're very similar in some ways. She had a grandma that raised her parents that were alcoholics, as I did, and one way and another in our own countries, you know, I'm from England, she's from here. We bonded tremendously straight away. It was as if two ladies discovered that they lived on the same block and they hadn't ever been introduced. But once they were, it was we bonded straight away. And every 10 years, as you probably know, we managed to get a special made together and each special became first of all, it was like, who are you dating? And you know, are you going to get married? And so on. Then it was about parent teacher conferences and having to pick up the Kids from school. And then eventually, by the time of the. The third or whatever outing that we had together on film or tape, it was like, do you take Metamucil? And stuff like that? And we don't see each other as much as I wish we did because she's on one end of the country and now I'm out here on the East Coast. But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter where we are. We just pick up where we left off. It's so easy.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes, that's a true friendship.

[Julie Andrews]

And the very first one we did together, which was Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall, I'll never forget that. She was the one that gave me the strength and the courage. And we. Before we taped, which was twice, we taped one big rehearsal and then the big night. And I remember we made an entrance. She on one side of the stage and I was on the other side. And we looked at each other across the stage as we were about to make that first entrance. And we were doing thumbs up and blowing kisses. But it was because I could see her across from me and I felt her strength and I also knew she knew mine.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And so you had each other's backs.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah, we were there and we weren't going to pull rank and we weren't going to be foolish, I hope. Well, foolish in the right way, of course, but.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And you must have met then doing theater in New York, because she was probably doing what, mattress or whatever.

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, well, yes, it probably was. I met her during Camelot when I was there. And yes, she was. And I first of all did one of her shows, which was the Garry Moore show that she was on.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That's right.

[Julie Andrews]

And then she did Once Upon a Mattress. Happily was able to see that because her day off was, I guess, my day off. Yeah. And so my manager at the time said, you two have to meet, you'll adore each other. Which is quite often the kiss of death, as you.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes, most of the time they don't know what they're talking about, but in this case, it was a great good fortune.

[Julie Andrews]

Magical. And nobody else got a word in edgeways.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And so you've stayed connected all these years. It's quite remarkable.

[Julie Andrews]

All these years.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I wonder, is there any advice you might have to give to people who are listening to this, to younger people about cultivating and maintaining friendships, which I think personally are one of the big keys to longevity and wellness?

[Julie Andrews]

Well, why would anybody pull rank when your friends are so loyal and talented and smart and how lovely that you can all Bond and either work together or appreciate each other in some way. I don't know. I just think it's great. And all of. I just about love everybody that I have worked with and actually can't remember anybody that ticked me off in such a way that I wasn't happy. And that is such a good fortune, I think.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, yeah, it certainly is. Bravo to both of you.

[Julie Andrews]

Thank you.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's fabulous. Okay, so let's switch gears for a second. I wanted to talk to you about your voice. You started having trouble with it in 1997. I think you had nodules on your vocal cords. Julie. Is that right? How should I explain it?

[Julie Andrews]

No, it wasn't. That was what was so painful to comprehend eventually. It wasn't that at all. How can I explain it? Well enough when you. If you hop on one knee long enough and it sounds stupid, when you hop on one leg long enough, that leg will buckle and you will get a kind of striation in the limb that is just a bit. It's muscle and. Oh, there's another word I'm looking for.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Like a stress fracture or a tear.

[Julie Andrews]

Or like tissue that. That becomes a little bit more hardened because you've been using it so much. But it did lead. Think of this. It did lead to my saying I've got to do. I mean, a year of waiting and depression and all those kind of things. But it led to my finding a new life, which is the one with my daughter and writing. I thought, I have to do something and be good for something or good at. Begin to be good at something. And that's what came out of it. And I've gotten over it. I think I would have stopped singing pretty quickly anyway because I was getting that much older. And I would have been 65 or something when I finally began writing with my Emma. And it's been such a joy, this part of my life, this latter part of my life, that I have gotten over it. It was a bad period. But. And you can imagine I adore music and I love classical music and all of those things.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But can you talk a little bit about the experience? I mean, you had surgery and did you know after it that something had changed for you? That something had. Had. Had shifted for you?

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. It wouldn't recover. It wouldn't recover poor. And I eventually found an absolutely superb vocal. Not coach, but doctor. And he cleared anything up that he could. Which is why I'm able to speak and I'm not hoarse. Yeah. And I can't sing now, though. That's the thing. And I miss it very, very, very much.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And so let's talk about sort of the process of making the adjustment to this, Julie, because I think, you know, a lot of people. Well, frankly, people have loss in their lives of varying degrees. Right?

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, they do. And far worse than.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well. But yours was a radical loss, I would say. And, you know, I had breast cancer diagnosis, I don't. Seven years ago now, and I had to go through that. Thank you. But I'm fine. But it was. Again, it's a loss.

[Julie Andrews]

Huge.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Huge.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah. Huge learning curve, I would think.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, yeah. It's your body that you know so fundamentally and that you rely on so completely.

[Julie Andrews]

Yes, I understand that very, very well. I do.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You understand it. And it's really. There's a shift that happens emotionally and intellectually.

[Julie Andrews]

But, you know, what I learned is that I was still Julie. I couldn't do that craft. And you've discovered, look at the strengths you've had since then and what the opportunities and so on. That wasn't all that was Julia.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Right, so what advice would you say to those who are trying to, you.

[Julie Andrews]

Know, get back up, get past something.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What do you think?

[Julie Andrews]

I'm not very good at answering that question because I don't have it fully in my head, but I think it's to do with. Find what you love, keep doing something. Because women of my age can keep being useful that's really. Can keep giving pleasure. And I wish that I could find a voice again, but I found it in a. My daughter, Emma. When I bemoaned my fate one day and was getting a bit teary, she said, mum, you've just found a different way to use your voice.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Exactly.

[Julie Andrews]

And that the penny dropped in my brain and I became a lot more content. And now my whole focus is on communicating, teaching, writing and helping the arts as much as I can and combining them in some way. Which is lovely.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, yes, it's lovely. So you met your second husband, Blake Edwards, in the parking lot of your therapist's office, is that right?

[Julie Andrews]

No, but meeting him was on Sunset Boulevard. And you probably know that there's that huge medium across Sunset and you can go across that. And I had to park in the middle of the medium because it had cars going both ways and cars zooming down Sunset Boulevard. So I pulled up and waited for the traffic to clear and Rolls Royce on the other side pulled out and I looked over and smiled at the very handsome man. Not in any way thinking anything, but just smiled because it happened again. And Then it happened again, and finally the window of the rolls, another day was wound down. And Blake said, hello, I'm Blake Edwards. You're Julie. And I said, yes, what an honor and thrill to meet you. He said, are you coming? Are you going to where I just came from? And that was Analysis, my analyst. And. And so we got to talking, and then not too many weeks later, I received a call and asked if he could come by. He asked if he could come by and run by an idea that he had, and that was the first movie we ever made together that was finally made, and it was a flop.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Was that Darling Lily?

[Julie Andrews]

That was Darling Lily, a huge flop. And how we ever stayed together after that, I don't know, but we did. And then, of course, eventually married several years later.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, that. That's so lovely. What about him directing you? What was that like since you were, you know, first boyfriend and girlfriend and then a married couple?

[Julie Andrews]

I know.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What about him? Did you like it? Did you like him as a director when he directed you?

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, I liked him very much, and I felt very, very safe because he was a good director and didn't waste time playing director. He knew his shots, he knew what he wanted and was very knowledgeable about film and all of those things. I couldn't feel more safe.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, that's nice.

[Julie Andrews]

And he'd had, you know, six ideas a week and would want to get all of them done. And I would think, oh, yeah, you know, we'll see about that. And then they mostly all came to pass. And when I started writing, he was my biggest. He encouraged the most of anybody and said, darling is what I thought of an idea and thought he might like it. And he said, do it. Just keep the pages piling up.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And you have said that he had a depressive personality, right?

[Julie Andrews]

Yes, he did.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And how did you navigate that as a couple and as his wife?

[Julie Andrews]

By learning more and more about how to deal with it and with the help of good therapy and things like that. And I did know when he would. Obviously, because he was depressive at times, it would have a peak and then it would disappear. He loved working, he loved writing. So when he was doing that, he was usually pretty great.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I see.

[Julie Andrews]

But it was other times, and he was. He was very sad at times. And knowing his background, I'm not surprised.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Have you struggled with depression, Julie?

[Julie Andrews]

Yes, but not. Not like.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Not like.

[Julie Andrews]

I mean, occasionally, no. I mean, I was depressed when I did have my surgery. Very depressed. But then, happily, time and learning and beginning to do something else came along and that was very good for me.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Oh, I bet. So. So not only are you a grandmother, you are a great grandmother, right?

[Julie Andrews]

Yes, I am. Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay, so you're the first great grandmother we've had on this show. So I'm very excited about that. How would you characterize the difference between being a grandmother and then a great grandmother? Is there. How do you distinguish those relationships?

[Julie Andrews]

Well, being a great grandmother is a tiny bit more removed than being a grandma because it's the generations kind of. Well, children get raised differently at times and so on. But in terms of the blessing that they all are and how sweet they all are, especially the babies, I don't care whether it's a grandchild or a great grandchild. It could be a great, great if I get so lucky. But I have five kids of my own and then I have like 10 grandchildren and then they have like three or four. I don't know if there are any more hanging around or waiting in the wings, as we say. But they're. Oh, God, they're so adorable when they're little too.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And Julie, what do they call you?

[Julie Andrews]

Granny Jules. Oh, that's J, O, O, L, S. I love it. Mostly I'm known as Granny Jules.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Granny Jules is lovely. People call me Jules. Do they call you Jules, Jules? Yes. Yeah.

[Julie Andrews]

How do you spell your Jules?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

J, U, L, E, S. Yep, I've been that.

[Julie Andrews]

And now I'm double O. L. Yes. Just. I don't know why, but it seemed easier.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, it does. Okay, Jules, double O, L, S. At the end of these conversations, I always ask a couple of quick questions.

[Julie Andrews]

Well, for sure, this has been such.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

A delight to talk to you. It's just been like a dream. Okay, so here's the first question. Is there something you'd go back and tell yourself when you were 21?

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, well, it's something that I get asked a lot in terms of what advice do you have for younger people? And I think what I try to convey to everybody is finally learning the pleasure of singing and giving. Giving it back to others. I used to do it by rote. I was in my parents vaudeville act. And then I went out on my own for years, but it was all because I had to and we needed the money. And I would come on stage and kind of clasp my hands and sing my big aria and so on. But when I learned that I could give people pleasure and really mean that, I did that realized that they come to the theater paying good money to see something and that they go away hopefully feeling happier. And more enlightened, let's say. It's something I learned when I was about, oh, 24, I think. Something like that. And I would say if you're passionate, do your homework to all the young people trying, because if you don't, you won't have as many chances. You won't be as good. And so it's all about doing your homework and then giving it and giving the pleasure of it.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And do you. Is there something that you would like me to know about aging from where you sit right now?

[Julie Andrews]

Well, yes, I.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Tell me.

[Julie Andrews]

Mostly I say aging sucks, but it doesn't really. And since there's no alternative, why bitch so much about it and try to find out what I can still do and what I love to do and what gives me pleasure and so on.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I see.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And what are you looking forward to? What's something you're looking forward to?

[Julie Andrews]

Directing other things. Passing on more books, if I can, because I do love doing them. I'm still learning about writing, but as long as people like what's coming out, I will continue. And I hope to get more and more competent and better, you know, But, I mean, I would love to direct more, too.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So before we say goodbye, I want to tell you that last year I took a trip with, actually, my very friend Paula, who produces this podcast with me, my friend from college.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And we went hiking in the Dolomites. Oh, yes. And so. And the wildflowers were bananas.

[Julie Andrews]

Exquisite. I can imagine.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And of course, what did we see when we got to high altitudes? We saw Edelweiss. That's right. And so I wanted to show you the picture of the Edelweiss. And we took.

[Julie Andrews]

How lovely.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Isn't that lovely?

[Julie Andrews]

Yes.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And it. Every time. I have to say it was such. Every time we would see one, I would scream, edelweiss. Edelweiss. And the.

[Julie Andrews]

And it's one of my favorite songs, by the way, from the Sound of Music. That and my favorite things. But Edelweiss is about anyone's hometown and beloved home or whatever.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I love exquisite.

[Julie Andrews]

I used to finish my variety act with that and with a full orchestra. It is almost enough to render me very tearful at times because it's very pretty.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's very pretty. It's very. It's a tender song.

[Julie Andrews]

Well, I have no trouble bringing back happy memories or warm feelings. And to hear the orchestrations. I love singing with an orchestra. It's like the one thing I'd love to end with is when you love what you do. And when you sing with a symphony orchestra, I tell you, it's like my singing teacher used to say, singing with a symphony orchestra is like being lifted up in the most comfortable armchair you could sit in and being carried over the orchestra. And of course, it stimulates you to sing better, to try harder. And I loved making albums and things like that very much.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

What joy.

[Julie Andrews]

Isn't that a lovely analogy of how all of that turns you on to be better than you'd ever thought you maybe better than you ever thought you could be?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, it's absolutely gorgeous. And it's a great metaphor, too, for a connection, because there you are with other musicians who are lifting you up. You no doubt are lifting them up as well. And so they're. I don't know about that, but no, I guarantee it.

[Julie Andrews]

If they tap their stands at the end day of the. The recording or whatever, it's a great accolade.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

But the point being that connection is everything. Don't you think, Julie?

[Julie Andrews]

Yes, I do.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Well, I want to thank you for speaking with us today. This was a treasure.

[Julie Andrews]

It was a lovely interview, Julie. It was nice talking about all the things, or all my favorite things, as they say.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, it really was. And I wish you nothing but happiness and health and laughter.

[Julie Andrews]

Thank you. That's what's going to do it, isn't it?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, it is.

[Julie Andrews]

I think so. I hope we meet again soon, Julia.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I do, too, Julie. I hope we. Our paths cross. I'm. I just. I give you my love.

[Julie Andrews]

If somebody that loves Carol as much as I do, and you do, we're all going to meet again.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

We're going to meet again. I'm going to text her after we finish and I'm going to tell her, I just spoke with you and so.

[Julie Andrews]

Or give her my love. I will give my chum my love, please.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I will indeed. Okay. Well, she's just as delightful as I dreamed she'd be. God, what a perfect way to end season two. My mom is gonna freak out when I tell her about this. Okay, I gotta get her on a zoom call. Hi, Mommy.

[Judy Bowles]

Hi, love.

[Julie Andrews]

Hi.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

So I just spoke to Julie Andrews, if you can even believe that I'm telling you that.

[Judy Bowles]

Oh, oh, oh, oh.

[Julie Andrews]

Oh, my God.

[Judy Bowles]

Julie Andrews, like part of our DNA.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah. For real. Because she was such a huge part of our family and our childhood, don't you think?

[Judy Bowles]

And in a kind of perfect way, you know, she was sort of a perfect, gifted performer.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, absolutely. She looked perfect, she spoke perfectly and she sang perfectly well.

[Judy Bowles]

One of the stories I grew up with was Mary Poppins. And my friend Judy A used to read all the Mary Poppins books and then she would tell me about them. So I had in my image of this Mary Poppins that was always sort of around in the trees and so forth, and she was a perfect Mary Poppins.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yeah, she really hit that one out of the park. So, you know, speaking of perfections, she. I don't know if you know this, but she had a lot of vocal trouble and. And actually, it was very hard for her to talk about it for multiple reasons. But her singing voice is highly compromised, which is a great tragedy, really. And she has overcome this, which is beautiful. I mean, she has found her way through that with the help of her daughter and therapy, and she's become a writer, which has given her a new voice, in fact, which is wonderful. But it really did. It made me think about you, because when I was 18, you got an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign tumor, but it was in your ear, deep within your ear.

[Judy Bowles]

It was on the brain stem. So I had the test after test after test, and finally it was determined that I had an aroma on my right brainstem. And I went from, you know, playing tennis and just doing my. My life. And all of a sudden this happened. And I remember that you drove. You drove me down to the hospital and your sisters were in the car. And when I got out of the car, Daddy was going to meet me in the hospital. And when I got out of the car, I remember just a flash, for a moment, I thought to myself, I may never see my girls again. Because in the. The olden days, that is to say, 20 years before, acoustic neuromas could kill people because the surgery was so intricate. And so I faced that. So I went into the surgery and then came out of the surgery. And then as I was recovering, I very slowly began to comprehend that I was deaf in my right ear.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Can you talk about that transition and what that was like for you, Mummy?

[Judy Bowles]

You know, the thing about it is that it's. So much can happen in life, which is that you are going along and you're whole and you don't even think about your hearing or your taste or your vision, because everything works. All I can say is that it equipped me to know that these wonderful things that we have, that we take for granted, that we have, which are human bodies, that in a flesh you can be taken. And then I think about Julie Andrews, because it didn't take away my life force, although it did throw me into writing. In a certain way, I've never quite understood exactly what that process has been in me, but I did find. I mean, I'm so happy that she found writing, and I'm so happy that I found writing as a way of going beyond loss or going into a new life. And I always loved literature, but it never occurred to me to make it. And the making of it, I think, really it thrust me into making. And in a way I don't think I would have otherwise. I think I would have continued to just receive literature.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

That is amazing. And I hadn't considered the connection between your hearing loss and then your sort of fervor for writing and how it sort of took hold for you and for our listeners. Just in case you're interested, my mother's written two books of poetry. Mom, what are the names of the two books of poetry?

[Judy Bowles]

The Gatherer is the first, and the Unlocatable Source is the second. Unlocatable Source. That's interesting in view of what we're talking about, because in a way, I wouldn't have known then that maybe a loss had led me toward importance of expression. I mean, and I know Julie Andrews work. She is a wonderful writer, and she's written with her daughter, too, which is a wonderful thing. And it makes me feel so good to think that I'm like, in some way like her or have found the same path.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes. And in some ways, she's like you. And that's really nice. I think that that is a perfect way to end this particular season of Wiser Than Me. This is the end of season two, mom, if you can believe it.

[Judy Bowles]

Oh, honey.

[Julie Andrews]

Season two.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Can you believe season two?

[Judy Bowles]

Well, I have to say something. My friends who are older women have appreciated and enjoyed what you're doing on this. This so much. And it is so important to have older women listen to and maybe even for them to begin to appreciate who they are and what they've done. Because sometimes telling your story, it's like you have a new appreciation of it. So even they're telling it, I think is a. Is a wonderful thing for.

[Julie Andrews]

For.

[Judy Bowles]

For women to do.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Me too. I think so, too. So there you go, Mommy.

[Judy Bowles]

There you go, honey. Well, listen, you're. You're a lot wiser than me now, Ma.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

You're wiser than me.

[Judy Bowles]

Well, it works both ways. It works both ways. Isn't that beautiful?

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Yes. It's a double.

[Julie Andrews]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

I love you, Mommy.

[Judy Bowles]

I love you, honey.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Talk to you later.

[Judy Bowles]

Okay.

[Julie Andrews]

Bye. Bye.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

There's more wiser than me with Lemonada. Premium subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content from each episode of the show. Subscribe now in Apple Podcasts make sure you're following Wiser Than Me on social media. We're on Instagram and TikTok at wiser than Me and we're on Facebook at Wiser Than Me podcast. Wiser Than Me is a production of Lemonade Media, created and hosted by me, Julia Louis Dreyfus. This show is produced by Chrissy Pease, Jamila zara Williams, Alex McGowan and Oja Lopez. Brad hall is a consulting producer, Rachel Neal is VP of New content, and our SVP of weekly content and production is Steve Nelson. Executive producers are Paula Kaplan, Stephanie Whittles, Wax, Jessica Cordova, Kramer and me. The show is mixed by Johnny Vince Evans with engineering help from James James Sparber, and our music was written by Henry hall, who you can also find on Spotify or wherever you listen to your music. Special thanks to Will Schlegel and of course, my mother, Judy Bowles. Well, we've had a great run, dear listeners, and because this is our last episode of the season and because it takes a lot of people to make a show like this, you wouldn't believe it. Really, I wanted to peel back the curtain and and quickly thank all of the many wise people who helped make this podcast possible. Our Rockstar marketing team includes Lizzie Breyer Bowman, Jackie Westphall, Sahar Baharlu Rose Dennis, Amber Girardi Robinson, Sarah Richardson and Shannon Locke. Thanks to our friends in business development, Cici Dong Brin, Val Bodurtha, Mia Liciard, Ron Russ and Dana Wickens, with additional support from Katherine Barnes, Brian Castillo, Autumn Dornfeld, Christina Perdomo Fernandez, Rochelle Greene and Noah Smith. Follow Wiser Than Me wherever you get your podcasts and if there's an old lady in your life, listen up.