Glynis Johns, whose husky voice first gave life to Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” has died at the age of 100.
The Welsh star of stage and screen, born in South Africa on Oct. 5, 1923, died at a Los Angeles assisted living home of natural causes, her manager, Mitch Clem, confirmed.
“Today’s a sad day for Hollywood,” Clem said. “She is the last of the last of old Hollywood.”
Beginning in the 1930s when she was just a child, Johns acted in more than 50 feature films and more than two dozen theatrical productions, in addition to logging numerous TV appearances. She debuted in London’s West End in 1931, at the age of 8, in Elmer Rice’s “Judgment Day,” and had her breakout role in 1938’s “South Riding” at age 15. In 1942, she played “Peter Pan” and later left her mark on film as the titular mermaid in 1948’s “Miranda,” for which she won accolades for her flirty, quirky comedic style.
Johns moved on to Broadway as the lead character in the 1952 comedy “Gertie.” She appeared on Broadway two more times before 1973, when she was cast as Desiree Armfeldt in Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music,” winning a Tony Award for capturing a glamorous, once-prominent actress whose ebbing career has her touring in small-town productions.
“Send in the Clowns,” the character’s solo that Sondheim wrote specifically for Johns’ eclectic voice, became a classic over the decades. It was later covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Judy Collins, Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughan, Olivia Newton-John and, most recently, by Elijah Wood in 2023 during season 2 of Showtime’s “Yellowjackets.”
However, Johns’ version remained Sondheim’s favorite, an admiration that was mutual.
“I’ve had other songs written for me, but nothing like that,” Johns said in a 1990 interview. “It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been given in the theater.”
She also was renowned for starring opposite Julie Andrews as the ardent feminist Winifred Banks, mother to the two children who enticed Mary Poppins into service as their nanny. The Walt Disney Co., which produced the 1964 movie of the same name, paid tribute to its star.
“Johns became everyone’s favorite sister suffragette,” the company said in a statement, referring to her character’s signature anthem. “Walt Disney himself personally selected her to play the career-defining role, having been drawn, like many a moviegoer, by her sparkling screen persona.”
For her role as Mrs. Firth in 1960’s “The Sundowners,” Johns earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of a widowed saloon and hotel owner in the Australian outback.
Television appearances included her own sitcom series “Glynis” in 1963, and as Lady Penelope Peasoup opposite Rudy Vallee’s Lord Marmaduke Ffogg in the original “Batman” series.
She played Diane Chambers’ (Shelley Long’s) mother in the inaugural season of NBC’s “Cheers” and a slightly delusional grandmother in 1995 Sandra Bullock hit “While You Were Sleeping.” Her last film role was as the grandmother of Molly Shannon’s character in the 1999 comedy “Superstar.”
Married and divorced four times, Johns left behind a grandson and three great-grandchildren, according to Deadline. Gareth Forwood, her son with first husband Anthony Forwood, died in 2007.
With News Wire Services
