Glynis Johns, Disney Legend of 'Mary Poppins' Fame, Dies at 100

Glynis Johns, an Oscar-nominated and Tony-winning actress best-remembered as Mrs. Banks in the Disney classic "Mary Poppins," died Thursday at 100.

ABC7's George Pennacchio broke the news, quoting her publicist Mitch Clem as saying her death was from natural causes, and occurred in an assisted living facility in West Hollywood.

Johns had been the oldest living Oscar nominee in any acting category.

Johns was born October 5, 1923, in Pretoria, South Africa, into an acting family — she was the daughter of Welsh performer Mervyn Johns.

Her career began as a youth. "I've been working on something ever since I was born, I think," she said in 2022.

Her early start led to a screen debut as a teenager in 1938's "South Riding." At the time of her death, she had been one of only a few famous names to have appeared in a 1930s film, and to have properly starred in films in the 1940s, including the mermaid fantasy "Miranda" in 1948.

Among her most famous movies were "An Ideal Husband" (1947), "No Highway in the Sky" (1951), "The Beachcomber" (1954), "The Court Jester" (1955), "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956), "The Chapman Report" (1962), "The Ref" (1994), "While You Were Sleeping" (1995), and her swan song, "Superstar" (1999).

She received her Oscar nomination for her performance in 1960's "The Sundowners," and achieved everlasting fame in any household with children as Mrs. Park in "Mary Poppins" (1964).

Her work in "Mary Poppins," in which she belts "Sister Suffragette," "The Sword and the Rose" (1953), and "Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue" (1953) earned Johns the coveted designation of Disney Legend in 1998.

Johns was also active onstage, winning a Tony for 1973's "A Little Night Music," in which she introduced the song "Send in the Clowns," now a standard. It was said Stephen Sondheim wrote the iconic, heart-tugging piece just for Johns.

Some of her TV work, which began at the dawn of the medium in 1952, included her own series, the short-lived "Glynis" (1963); playing villainess Lady Penelope Peasoup on "Batman" (1967); playing Diane's mom on "Cheers" (1983); and her work as a series regular on "Coming of Age" (1988-1989), her last non-voice TV role.

Johns, who was married four times, was preceded in death by her actor son Gareth Forwood, who died in 2007.