Inside Mary Poppins’ Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews’ sweet friendship throughout the 64 years since the film’s release

Dick and Julie, 90, met on the set of Mary Poppins in 1964, which was actually Julie’s film debut. They were introduced to each other during dance rehearsals, and they first shot the dance scene for “Jolly Holiday” together. From the very beginning, Dick believed that Julie would become a mega-star.

The actor recalled on the Dick Cavett Show back in 1974: “Nobody knew who she was. I thought at that time, ‘Just you wait.'” He was onto something, because after the film wrapped, her career took off. Dick proudly said: “[She] became one of the biggest stars in the whole world.” 

Julie mentioned in her memoir titled, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, that Dick’s energy on set made all the difference. She shared: “I performed Mary Poppins’s demure, ladylike version of the step — but Dick flung his long legs up so high that I burst out laughing.” She added that “the camaraderie on set” helped make her first movie experience “unforgettable.”

The two are highly impressed by each other’s talent and way of life. Julie, who called Dick “magical,” celebrated Dick’s lifetime in the entertainment industry at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2021. She introduced him and said: “Dick seems to have found the secret to happiness. He’s an artist, a one-man band, a profound philosopher, a high-stepping showman and spreader of charm… Good luck does rub off when he shakes hands with you.”

The feelings of admiration are mutual. Dick revealed in his memoir titled, My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business: A Memoir: “[She was the] perfect partner. She was a lady first and foremost, but she also had a great, whimsical sense of humor.” He also praised her work ethic and said she “never once” complained on set.

After Mary Poppins came out, critics were extremely harsh about Dick’s cockney accent for his role as Bert in the film. She publicly defended him and said: “I think Dick asked all of us to help him because I had the same experience, and he was very aware that he was stumbling about. He was adorable, so talented and charming anyway, so who cares, really,” per The Irish Times.

Dick recalled a time during Mary Poppins when he was having trouble singing and she was there for him. He shared: “She was as sweet as she could be. I’m not a real singer, so I tend to be under, fighting to get up there and sing on top of the note. It just took me forever in the recording. She was just patient as could be and kept helping me, [saying] ‘Think high. Think up there.’ And it turned out great. She was wonderful. We had a wonderful time together,” per People.