orig. Julia Elizabeth Wells
born Oct. 1, 1935, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, Eng.
British-U.S. actress and singer.
She made her London debut at 12 in a revue and her New York City stage debut in The Boy Friend (1954). A major star of the Broadway musical, she originated the roles of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (1956) and Guinevere in Camelot (1960). She also starred in films such as Mary Poppins (1964, Academy Award), and Victor/Victoria (1982), one of several films she made with her husband, director Blake Edwards . In 2000 she was made a Dame of the British Empire.