Beloved English actress Julie Andrews is receiving the American Film Institute’s highest honor for a career in film.
The 48th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute celebrated Julie Andrews on Thursday, June 9, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
As part of the celebration, the actors who played the von Trapp kids in The Sound Of Music (1965) reunited to pay homage to Andrews, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Maria von Trapp in the classic musical drama.
Reunited: Five of the seven actors who played the von Trapp children in The Sound Of Music attended the 48th Annual AFI Life Achievement Award Honoring Julie Andrews, including Duane Chase, Kym Karath, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner, and Nicholas Hammond
Honoree: English actress Julie Andrews, 86, received the American Film Institute’s (AFI) Life Achievement Award during a gala at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday
In the film, the Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) sends Maria (Julie Andrews) to the villa of retired naval officer Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) to be governess to his seven children—Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl.
Some 57 years after its release, five of the those seven child actors were able to attend the ceremony in honor of Andrews.
Ahead of the ceremony, those five actors hit the red carpet for a series of photographs together.
And what’s more: they all color-coordinated their fashion choices in black and white for the festive event.
The von Trapp kids: The seven von Trap children played a pivotal role in The Sound Of Music; leading Lady Julie Andrews is pictured with co-stars (l to r) Debbie Turner, Angela Cartwright, Duane Chase, Kym Karath, Heather Menzies, Nicholas Hammond and Charmian Carr
Reunited: The five actors who played the von Trapp kids color-coordinated in black and white; pictured are Duane Chase, 71, Kym Karath, 63, Angela Cartwright, 69, Debbie Turner, 65, and Nicholas Hammond, 72; sadly the two remaining child actors Charmian Carr (Liesl) and Heather Menzies (Louisa) both passed away in recent years
Playing the role of Kurt von Trapp in the film, Duane Chase, now 71, looked handsome in black suit and bow tie with a white dress shirt.
Kym Karath, 63, showed off her fashion sense in a gorgeous black gown that hugged curves. She played Gretl, the youngest of the Von Trapp children.
Angela Cartwright, 69, stood in the middle during the red carpet shoot in a lovely black sheer dress. She portrayed Brigitta in the iconic musical, which ended up receiving 10 Academy Award nominations.
Debbie Turner, 65, who had the honor of playing Marta, opted to go with a black and silver gown.
And the man who played Friedrich, Nicholas Hammond, also went with a classic black suit and black bowtie combination. The 72-year-old actor would also add in a white dress shirt to the ensemble.
The Sound Of Music earned 10 Academy Award nominations, wining five, including Best Picture and Best Director for Robert Wise; actors Kym Karath, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner and Nicholas Hammond are seen striking another pose
Child star: Along with The Sound Of Music, Angela Cartwright is also known for her role of Linda Williams, the stepdaughter of Danny Williams in the 1950s series The Danny Thomas Show and Penny Robinson in the 1960s series Lost In Space
Sadly the remaining two child actors to play the von Trapp children passed away.
Charmian Carr, who had the role of Liesl, died in September 2016 at the age of 73. And the actress who played Louisa, Heather Menzies, was 68 when she passed away in December 2017.
The AFI event for Andrews was originally scheduled for 2020 but it was postponed due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Julie Andrews has sent spirits soaring across generations,’ said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. ‘This new date for her AFI Tribute enriches our anticipation to celebrate her in a manner worthy at a time the world needs it most.’
Andrews, 86, is a three-time Academy Award nominee, which included Best Actress for The Sound Of Music; winning once for her role in Mary Poppins (1964).
The Surrey, England native’s performance in The Sound Of Music did earn her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy Or Musical.
Iconic films: Cartwright made her r first film appearance at the age of three years as Paul Newman’s daughter in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)
Legendary: Andrews earned three Oscar nominations during her career, including for The Sound Of Music; her only win was for Mary Poppins (1964)
Bonafide hit: The Sound Of Music became the first film to ver top $100 million at the box office; pictured are stars Charmian Carr, Kym Karath, Nicholas Hammond, Julie Andrews, Debbie Turner, Angela Cartwright and Duane Chase
The Sound Of Music, which was an adaption of the 1959 play of the same name, was released on March 2, 1965.
Along with the Andrews and the child stars, the movie also starred Christopher Plummer, Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Eleanor Parker, Anna Lee, Portia Nelson, Ben Wright, Daniel Truhitte, Norma Varden, Gil Stuar, Marni Nixon, Evadne Baker and Doris Lloyd.
It went on to become a bonafide hit, earning the distinction of being the first film to gross over $100 million. Over the years the movie would eventually go on to earn more than $286 million at the box office.
Adjusted for inflation, The Sound Of Music earned about $2.366 billion at 2014 prices—placing it among the top ten highest-grossing films of all time.
Where are the Sound of Music cast now? As von Trapp children reunite to suppport Julie Andrews, Femail reveals the varied fortunes of the actors who played the kid – including one who became a florist and another who starred in a Quentin Tarantino film
The von Trapp children
The von Trapp children formed their own little family over the months of making the musical and became known as The SoM 7.
Their parents befriended one another as the young performers travelled to Austria for filming, and the actors themselves have remained close for decades.
‘We’re beyond friends. We’re second family,’ said Kym Karath, who played the youngest von Trapp, Gretl. ‘As adults, we were deeply bonded, so our lives have really interwoven with each other.’
The von Trapp children formed their own little family over the months of making the musical and became known as The SoM 7
The von Trapp children formed their own little family over the months of making the musical and became known as The SoM 7. Pictured in 2005: Nicholas Hammond, Heather Menzies, Julie Andrews, Angela Cartwright and Duane Chase (front row) Charmian Carr, Debbie Turner and Kym Karath (back row)
Liesl, played by Charmian Carr
Charmian Carr played Liesl, the eldest of the von Trapp children. She was studying speech therapy and philosophy at college when her mother arranged for her to audition for the Sound of Music.
Afterwards she worked with Van Johnson on a pilot of a TV show, Take Her, She’s Mine and went on to appear in Evening Primrose, a Stephen Sondheim musical.
She quit Hollywood after marrying a dentist, Jay Brent (whom she divorced in 1991), to focus on raising her two daughters Jennifer and Emily, before becoming a successful interior designer.
She died from complications related to dementia in September 2016, aged 73.
Charmian Carr played Liesl, the eldest of the von Trapp children (pictured with Julie Andrews)
Charmian Carr died from complications related to dementia in September 2016, aged 73 (pictured in 2012)
Brigitta, played by Angela Cartwright
British-born Angela was 13 when she played the role of 10-year-old Brigitta, but she already had a solid career as a child actress behind her.
Aged three she appeared as Paul Newman’s daughter in the film Somebody Up There Likes Me, and starred in seven seasons of the US TV series Make Room for Daddy.
After The Sound of Music, she continued her acting career and starred in the TV series Lost in Space and Make Room for Granddaddy.
But after having her two children – Jesse and Rebecca Gullion – she swapped acting for other artistic pursuits. She has been a photographer for 30 years and her work is displayed at her studio in Studio City, Los Angeles.
Now 68, Angela has published several tomes on photography techniques. In 2019 she made a cameo appearance as Dr. Smith’s mother, Sheila Harris, in the third episode of the second season of the 2018 Netflix re-imagined Lost In Space series.
British-born Angela was 13 when she played the role of 10-year-old Brigitta, but she already had a solid career as a child actress behind her
Angela Cartwright (pictured in April 2018) made a cameo appearance as Dr. Smith’s mother, Sheila Harris, in the third episode of the second season of the Netflix reimagined Lost In Space series
Kurt, played by Duane Chase
Duane was 15 years old when he took on the role of Kurt von Trapp. He continued acting until his teens, including an appearance in the 1966 Kurt Russell film, Follow Me, Boys! as well as acting in Western TV series The Big Valley.
Chase switched gears in college, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in geology and working as a software engineer.
Now 70, he lives in Washington and is returning to wildlife and forestry work. He is married to Petra Maria, who was born in Hamburg, Germany and is a registered nurse.
Duane was 15 years old when he took on the role of Kurt von Trapp. He continued acting until his later teen years
Duane Chase (pictured with co-star Heather Menzies in 2005) now lives in Washington and is returning to wildlife and forestry work
Friedrich, played by Nicholas Hammond
The Sound Of Music was just the beginning of a flourishing career in entertainment for Nicholas Hammond. His best known role is probably his performance as Peter Parker in the television series The Amazing Spider-Man.
He went on to play guest roles in popular shows such as The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote as well as a recurring part in Dallas.
In 2009, he made his directing debut with Lying Cheating Bastard, a play he co-wrote with magician James Galea.
Hammond, now 70, lives in Australia with his partner, actress Robyn Nevin, and is a writer for Australian television. He also has an English degree from Princeton to his name.
In 2019 he portrayed director Sam Wanamaker in the Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
The Sound Of Music was just the beginning of a flourishing career in entertainment for Nicholas Hammond
Hammond, now 70, lives in Australia with his partner, actress Robyn Nevin, and is a writer for Australian television. Pictured with Charmian Carr in 2005
In 2019 Hammond portrayed director Sam Wanamaker in the Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Gretl, played by Kym Karath
Five-year-old Karath stole hearts when she played the youngest von Trapp child Gretl.
Roles in Lost In Space and The Brady Bunch followed, but after going to college at USC, she focused on parenting rather than performing when her son Eric was born with disabilities.
Along with other parents, Karath helped establish the Aurelia Foundation, which provides services for special-needs individuals once they finish high school.
She resumed her entertainment career as an actress and writer in 2005. Karath, now 62, has said she still is not fond of water after nearly drowning in the boat scene in Sound of Music, because she couldn’t swim.
Five-year-old Karath stole hearts when she played the youngest von Trapp child Gretl
Kym Karath (pictured in August 2016) helped establish the Aurelia Foundation, which provides services for special-needs individuals once they finish high school
Louisa, played by Heather Menzies-Urich
The Sound Of Music was Heather Menzies-Urich’s first movie, and she continued to enjoy a successful acting career, appearing in films and TV shows such as Logan’s Run, S.W.A.T and The Love Boat.
She married John Cluett in 1969, but they divorced in 1973. She wed her second husband, actor Robert Urich, in 1975, and the couple adopted three children.
Menzie-Urich stepped away from the limelight after Robert’s death from a rare form of cancer in 2002.
She set up the nonprofit organisation The Robert Urich Foundation, which provides funding for cancer research and to help families relocate for specialised treatment, and dedicated her later years to the project.
Menzies-Urich was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in November 2017 and died on December 24, 2017 – 21 days after her 68th birthday.
The Sound Of Music was Heather Menzies-Urich’s first movie, and she continued to enjoy a successful acting career
Heather Menzies-Urich (pictured in March 2015) was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in November 2017 and died on December 24, 2017 – 21 days after her 68th birthday
Marta, played by Debbie Turner
Debbie was as much an athlete as an actress as a child, and she opted for sports after playing Marta von Trapp.
The keen skier and mother-of-four began a new career as an interior designer and now owns a floral-design business in Minnesota.
She was called on to provide flowers for a wedding in Salzburg, Austria, at a palace that inspired the sets of The Sound Of Music.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk