Date of Birth
5 October 1923,
Pretoria, South Africa
Nickname
The Girl with the Upside-Down Eyes
Height
5' 4" (1.63 m)
Mini Biography
Husky voiced Glynis is the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns. Best known for her light comedy roles and often playful flirtation, Glynis was born in South Africa while her parents were on tour there (her mother was a concert pianist) but was always proud of her Welsh roots and took delight in playing the female lead (opposite Richard Burton) in the classic Under Milk Wood (1972). Glynis is probably best known for her role as the suffragette mother in Mary Poppins (1964) although she is probably best loved for her fishy roles in Miranda (1948) and Mad About Men (1954). She had earlier showed she could take on the serious roles as well as in Frieda (1947). Most recently seen (at the time of writing) in Superstar (1999).
IMDb Mini Biography By:
Steve Crook
Spouse
Trivia
Anthony Forwood, Glynis's ex-husband, was Sir Dirk Bogarde's longtime partner and manager until Forwood's death in 1988.
Daughter of actor Mervyn Johns, with whom she appeared in The Halfway House (1944).
Stephen Sondheim wrote "Send in the Clowns" in his show "A Little Night Music" especially for Glynis Johns' short-breathed, wistful voice.
Won a Tony Award (Best Actress in a Musical) for her role in "A Little Night Music" in 1973.
Mother of actor Gareth Forwood.
Appeared in the "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) episode "Sing a Song of Murder." She previously starred with "Murder" star Angela Lansbury in the classic comedy The Court Jester (1955).
Won Broadway's 1973 Tony Award as Best Actress (Musical) for "A Little Night Music."
Best known as Mrs. Winifred Banks, the kids' mother in Mary Poppins (1964).
She was named a Disney Legend in 1998.
Married and divorced four times, her first husband Anthony Forwood is the father of her only child, Gareth; her second husband, David Ramsey Foster, was a WWII hero who became the chairman of Colgate Palmolive International; marriage to third husband, Cecil Peter L. Henderson, ended after a year; and fourth husband Elliot Arnold, a writer and essayist, penned "A Night of Watching," "Camp Grant Massacre" and "Personal Combat".
Sources give different spellings of her mother's name, who was a pianist (c. 1920 - 1971). One source spells it Alys Maude Steel-Payne. Another spells it Alyce Steele.
Stepdaughter of actress Diana Churchill.
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