Icon Julie Andrews Makes a Rare Public Appearance

You may hear Julie Andrewsregularly as the unseen voice of Lady Whistledown on Netflix's hit series Bridgerton, but the actress is rarely seen in public. That is, until this week. The 90-year-old recently appeared on screen in a video shown at the seventh annual World Parkinson's Congress in Phoenix, Arizona.

While the Sound of Music star didn't actually go to the conference in person, she did send a heartfelt message to the attendees. The iconic actress began the video by introducing herself (as if she needed to) and welcoming everyone to the event.

Andrews continues, adding, "Your participation is invaluable as we seek to find a cure to this terrible disease. I know well how devastating it can be. May we all become a beacon of light to stop it in its tracks. Count me in as a red thread."

If you're wondering what a "red thread" is, Andrews' statement refers to the "Red Thread Project." The project serves to connect the Parkinson's community in a show of strength. According to the World Parkinson's Congress website, the organization is asking participants to take a pic of themselves holding a red thread to the edges of the frame. The Project then shares the photos, with the threads connected end-to-end.

After the clip of Andrews went viral, her fans took to social media to applaud the actress. In one Reddit post, Andrews' admirers gushed, "Protect her at all costs," "I love Julie! Incredible actress and humanitarian. She reminds me so much of my grandmother," and "Not even a millisecond into the video, and hearing her voice made me take a sigh of relief. Crazy how she can still calm generations down just by talking."

Of course, the praise didn't end there. The comments poured in, with one Redditor writing, "An absolute queen," and another adding, "I love her so much, such a beautiful person!"

Several fans wondered if she has Parkinson's or has a special connection to the community. The actress does not have the disease, but is a fierce advocate for those battling the chronic condition.

Even though Andrews was certainly the star of the show, other celebs also created videos for the event, including actor Steve Carell. As it turns out, a famous face introducing the World Parkinson's Congress is kind of a tradition. In 2023, Paul McCartneysent a video message!

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 9:25 PM.