Meet The New Mary Poppins

The multi-talented British actress reveals some of her biggest challenges as she takes on the iconic nanny role.

Emily Blunt is about to take on one of the biggest roles of her career, Mary Poppins Returns, playing the title character that Dame Julie Andrews first made famous in the 1964 Disney classic.

“Mary Poppins has been the greatest gift that I’ve been given,” Emily says. “Can you imagine my girls being able to say that their mum is Mary Poppins? I’m just so thrilled.”

Directed by Rob Marshall, known for his award winning movie musicals such as Chicago and Nine, Mary Poppins Returns places an almost impossible burden on Emily to define the character in her own way and avoid all comparisons with Julie. That explains why Emily deliberately avoided watching the original again.

“I had seen the movie as a child and I have such beautiful and strong memories of that film. I didn’t watch the film again during my preparations because I didn’t want to be swayed by Julie Andrews’s portrayal which was so iconic. I knew that once I was given the role that it would be impossible to match what she did. My only choice was to create my own version of the character. This is my interpretation. Ultimately if people like it or not I don’t know... but we will see.”

A sequel to the 1964 film, Mary Poppins Returns is set during the Great Depression years after the original left off and where a tragedy leaves Michael Banks and his three children without a mother. This serves as an appropriate moment for the Banks’ former nanny Mary Poppins (Emily) to return to the family fold with the help of lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda).

Emily heads an all-star cast that includes Miranda, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Angela Lansbury.

What is your take on Mary Poppins as a character?