Dame Julie Andrews "doubted" she would ever make it as a star.
Dame Julie Andrews never thought she would actually make it as a star
The 88-year-old actress started out touring the UK as a child singer when it was discovered she had a freak four-octave soprano range and later became the breadwinner of her family due to circumstances but never imagined she would ever truly make it as big as she did.
Speaking on CBS Sunday Mornings, she said: "Yes, I was [paying the mortgage] eventually. We needed cash, dreadfully, so eventually when I was about 15 I went out on my own, all around England, around and around. I was part of the family trying to do it but eventually, it was just me because my stepfather was an alcoholic, sadly.
"I doubted that I ever would [make it]. I was doing it because it helped, and I had to. In my teens, I would think 'What am I doing this for? Where is all this going to lead?' and then suddenly the world broke open."
The Academy Award-winning actress made her Broadway debut at the age of 19 in 'The Boy Friend' and later originated the role of Eliza Doolittle in 'My Fair Lady' before finding success in Hollywood with 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music' but admitted she didn't really have a clue what she was doing when she was thrust into the limelight.
She said: "I didn't have acting lessons or anything like that, I picked it up and people are very kind. They don't hurt puppies, if you know what I'm saying. And I was a puppy and I didn't know what the heck I was doing. But I learned and was grateful for all of the teaching that I got."