Rosie O’Donnell’s Julie Andrews Daydreams & Talk-Show Confessions
Watching Rosie O’Donnell gush over Julie Andrews is like witnessing someone fall in love with Mary Poppins’ hairstyle—utterly charming and a little absurd. The 63-year-old comedian recently revisited her ‘90s daytime empire on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live (May 8 episode), where she measured her pinch-me moments by guest star megawatts. First up: a face-to-face with Walter Cronkite that left her wondering, “Wait, is this my life?” She admitted she spent half the interview channeling her inner fan-girl—because nothing says “hard-hitting journalism” like choking on your own questions.
Next in the hall of surreal came former Vice President Al Gore, who marched into her dressing room not to debate policy but to ask which tie screamed “captain of the Senate.” It was a grass-roots moment turned wardrobe malfunction—proof that even big-name politicians occasionally need fashion advice from a Long Island kid. Speaking of which, when Julie Andrews sashayed onto The Rosie O’Donnell Show on January 31, 1997, promoting Victor/Victoria on Broadway, O’Donnell’s composure disintegrated faster than a paper napkin in a downpour. Andrews’s signature elbow-in-hair move during “My Favorite Things” flustered her so thoroughly she “kind of lost [her] breath.” That’s right: the woman who could riff on politics mid-show got schooled by a graceful nod and a Rodgers & Hammerstein tune.
Florence Henderson, Carol Brady herself, triggered a similarly bizarre maternal longing. O’Donnell confessed she’d swapped family photos for Brady Bunch reruns, quietly rooting for Florence to abduct her into primetime suburbia. She called it “another-worldly experience”—which might also describe binge-watching The Sound of Music until you start singing “Do-Re-Mi” at holiday dinners.
The Andrews obsession didn’t fizzle when the cameras turned off. Rosie’s TikTok personality christened her backyard squirrel “Julie Andrews” because, in Rosie’s words, “I love spunk, I do.” Apparently the rodent’s acorn-foraging prowess is reminiscent of The Princess Diaries star’s on-screen pluck.
All of this nostalgia fest was part of Rosie’s promo tour for her new Hulu documentary, Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism, which PEOPLE exclusively teased on April 15. Because if you’re going to existentially question your reality in front of broadcast legends, you may as well champion a heartfelt cause while you’re at it.
Tune in next time for more celebrity crush confessions and evidence that, yes, grown adults can still lose their minds over a single eyebrow raise. Well, there you have it—humanity at its quirkiest.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People.com, SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, Hulu documentary preview
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
