© Getty Images

A difficult childhood - Julie Andrews has always come across as quite bubbly, but she had a challenging childhood. She loved her father, Ted Wells, but it was a different story with her mother and stepfather, Barbara Morris and Ted Andrews.

© Getty Images

Abusive behavior - Her mother and stepfather both drank a lot, but the latter had on two occasions tried to get into bed with Andrews, she shared in her memoir 'Home.' 

© Getty Images

Early insecurity - "My mother was terribly important to me, and I know how much I yearned for her in my youth," Andrews wrote. "But I don't think I truly trusted her."

© Getty Images

Forced to grow up early - From a young age, Andrews (far right) was expected to be an adult. Her stepfather was a vaudeville performer, and according to Vanity Fair, Andrews had to perform on the road with them.

© Getty Images

Supporting her family - She showed immense talent even when she was young, boasting a four-octave vocal range. But instead of enjoying her childhood, she was forced to perform quite often to help the family make money.

© Getty Images

She took on a lot of responsibility - In addition to performing regularly and dealing with problems at home, she had to help raise her younger siblings, leaving no time for regular kid things.

© Getty Images

Then came a huge identity crisis - Andrews was very close to her father, Wells, but at the age of 14 she learned some shocking news: he was not actually her father.

© Getty Images

Her father - In her memoir, Andrews recounted an evening in 1949 when she had performed at a family friend's, and afterwards the owner of the house sat down next to her and she felt "an electricity between us that I couldn't explain."

© Getty Images

Wells would always be her father - Later that night, her mother had revealed the news, but Andrews knew it didn't change anything between her and Wells. "I would always consider him my father. I loved him with all my being."

© Getty Images

She was the first Eliza Doolittle - She landed the starring role in 'My Fair Lady' while still very young.

© Getty Images

It was her school - She told The Hollywood Reporter that it was "three-and-a-half years of just shattering your vocal chords together," but it was where she did all her learning. 

© Getty Images

The show was a huge success - Which is what made it such a huge shock when the film adaptation was announced, but Andrews was not selected to star in it.

© Getty Images

They went with Audrey Hepburn - Andrews said she completely understood their choice, as they always wanted a big name for Broadway film adaptations, but that she was still surprised.

© Getty Images

Hepburn was apologetic - Hepburn, who'd had a ghost singer help her in the role, told Andrews, "You should have done 'My Fair Lady,' Julie—but I didn't have the guts to turn it down," as Andrews recalled.

© Getty Images

Walt Disney approached her directly -

Andrews was approached by Disney himself to play the role of Mary Poppins, and he invited her on the spot to come out to Hollywood. But she didn't say yes right away…

© Getty Images

She admitted she was pregnant - She was already three months pregnant, she confided in him. His response was perfect: "That's OK, we'll wait!"

© Getty Images

The Poppins production was on hold for her - Six months later, after Andrews gave birth to her daughter Emma, she received a call from the author of 'Mary Poppins' who told her she had the perfect nose for the part.

© Getty Images

Missing 'My Fair Lady' turned out well - Andrews went on to win the Oscar and Golden Globe for her role in 'Mary Poppins,' ironically in the same Best Actress category as Hepburn for 'My Fair Lady' in the latter.

© Getty Images

'The Sound of Music' was not handed to her -

Despite her massive success, Andrews still had to audition for the role of Maria.

© Getty Images

Stiff competition - She was reportedly up against the likes of Doris Day and Grace Kelly, who had huge fan bases on their sides. 

© Getty Images

She's now inseparable from the role - Her favorite scenes, which she said she would love to film again, are the Austrian folk dance between the Captain and Maria, as well as when he asks her to stay with the family. 

© Getty Images

It was not as picture-perfect as it looked - 'The Sound of Music' famously opens with a serene mountain-top scene, but Andrews said that the wind from the jet-engine helicopter kept knocking her over, so the hills were more alive with mud than anything else. 

© BrunoPress

Tragedy struck - Her entire life had been built around singing and performing, but in 1997 Andrews had gone in for vocal cord surgery, and it went terribly wrong. 

© Getty Images

She lost her four-octave range - She reportedly had to go to a rehab clinic, and subsequently filed a lawsuit against the surgeons.

© Getty Images

Both a physical and mental toll - According to E! News, Andrews went through grief counseling, as her voice had been a defining part of who she was. 

© Getty Images

She persevered - Not one to succumb to despair, Andrews adapted, telling The Telegraph that she still had five good bass notes and that she uses a "Rex Harrison sing-speak kind of voice" with narration.

© Getty Images

More grief ensued - Her second marriage to Blake Edwards lasted a very happy 41 years, so when he passed in 2010, her life was inevitably rocked.

© Getty Images

Five years later, she reflected - In 2015, Andrews admitted she was still dealing with his loss, and that some days were fine, but on others "suddenly [it'll] sock you in the middle of your gut."

© Getty Images

Her secret to marriage - She shared that their secret was "patience and perseverance," taking it one day at a time.

© Getty Images

All this time, she's stayed humble - Even with all her success, Andrews never took her career for granted or let her talent get to her ego. She said, "I think I've been very, very lucky." 

© Getty Images

Can you believe she's in 89? -

Julie Andrews turns 89 on October 1, and remains one of the most beautiful and talented women of her generation. Her grace and timeless charm continue to inspire fans around the world.

See also: Career lows: the worst films these actors ever made

© Getty Images