Glynis Johns, who played Mrs Banks in 'Mary Poppins,' dies at 100

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Glynis Johns, known for her role as Mrs. Winifred Banks in the film classic "Mary Poppins," has died. She was 100.

Mitch Clem, her manager, told The Associated Press she died Thursday of natural causes at an assisted living home in Los Angeles.

"Today’s a sad day for Hollywood," Clem said. "She is the last of the last of old Hollywood."

Tony Award-winning actress Glynis Johns has died at the age of 100. (AP)

The late actress's career in movies, television and theater spanned more than 80 years. Johns originated the role of once-successful actress Desiree Armfelt in Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical "A Little Night Music" and won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for her performance in 1973.

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Sondheim wrote the show’s hit song "Send in the Clowns" to suit her distinctive husky voice, but she lost the part in the 1977 film version to Elizabeth Taylor.

"I’ve had other songs written for me, but nothing like that," Johns told The Associated Press in 1990. "It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been given in the theater."

"Send in the Clowns" would become one of Sondheim's most famous songs and was later performed by Frank Sinatra, Judy Collins, Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughan and Olivia Newton-John. In 2023, Elijah Wood sang "Send in the Clowns" during season 2 of "Yellowjackets."

Johns starred as Mrs. Winifred Banks in the iconic 1964 movie musical "Mary Poppins." (Donaldson Collection/Getty Images)

In a 1991 revival of "A Little Night Music" in Los Angeles, Johns played Madame Armfeldt, the mother of her original character, Desiree. 

Johns appeared in more than 60 movies after making her film debut at age 15 in the 1938 British drama "South Riding." Her breakthrough role came a decade later when she played the titular amorous mermaid in the 1948 hit comedy "Miranda."

"I was quite an athlete, my muscles were strong from dancing, so the tail was just fine; I swam like a porpoise," she told Newsday in 1998, per the AP.

Johns earned a best supporting actress Academy Award nomination after she starred in the 1960 comedy-drama "The Sundowners" alongside Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum. In 1963, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in "The Chapman Report."

Johns' film breakthrough came after she starred in the titular role in the 1948 film "Miranda." (Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

In 1964, Johns starred in Walt Disney's movie musical adaptation of P.L. Travers' book series "Mary Poppins," which marked Broadway star Julie Andrews' feature film debut. Johns played Winifred Banks, the wife of George Banks (David Tomlinson) and mother of Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber).

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Johns' character was also a suffragette and memorably opened the Academy Award-winning movie with her solo number "Sister Suffragette." Since Johns initially believed that she had been cast in the role of Mary Poppins, Disney instructed his musical team to create a song specifically for Mrs. Banks, per Variety.

The actress's final film credits include roles in 1994's "The Ref," 1995's "While You Were Sleeping" and 1999's "Superstar."

The actress earned a best supporting actress Academy Award nomination after she starred in the 1960 comedy drama "The Sundowners." (Paramount Pictures/De Carvalho Collection/Getty Images)

Johns also appeared in television series, including "The Frank Sinatra Show," "The Beachcomber," "Batman," "Cheers," "The Love Boat," "Murder She Wrote" and "Coming of Age." In 1963, she starred in her own TV sitcom, "Glynis."

Johns was the fourth generation of an English theatrical family. Her father, Mervyn Johns, had a long career as a character actor and her mother was a pianist. She was born in Pretoria, South Africa, because her parents were visiting the area on tour at the time of her birth.

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Johns became a dancer at 12 and an actor at 14 in London’s West End. She appeared in more than 30 plays during her career on the stage. In 1989, Johns starred in the Broadway revival of "The Circle," W. Somerset Maugham’s romantic comedy about love, marriage and fidelity, opposite Rex Harrison and Stewart Granger.

The actress's final film credits included roles in 1994's "The Ref," 1995's "While You Were Sleeping" and 1999's "Superstar." (SGranitz/WireImage)

"I’ve retired many times. My personal life has come before my work. The theater is just part of my life. It probably uses my highest sense of intelligence, so, therefore, I have to come back to it, to realize that I’ve got the talent. I’m not as good doing anything else," she told the AP.

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John was married four times. She shared her only child, son Gareth Forwood, with her first husband, Anthony Forwood. Johns and the late actor, who died in 1988, were married from 1942 to 1948. Gareth died at age 62 in 2007.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.