How Kurt Russell convinced Walt Disney to change ‘Mary Poppins’: “I knew my opinion mattered”
Many aspiring young actors could only dream of having a career that started like Kurt Russell’s. When he was just 12, he began acting, mainly starring in television series like The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters and The Virginian. Proving himself to be a natural from an early age, Russell soon attracted Disney’s attention.
It’s many children’s dream to have a childhood wrapped up in Disney, and for Russell, that came true. When he wasn’t making movies for the company, he got to hang out with the man himself, Walt Disney. Russell’s first job with Disney as part of his decade-long contract was Follow Me, Boys!. The film featured some classic Hollywood stars like Lillian Gish and Vera Miles, which was surely exciting for a budding young actor like Russell.
He continued to act for Disney over the coming years, appearing in movies like The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. By the end of the 1970s, Russell showed his prowess with some more mature roles, impressing critics with his performance as the King of Rock and Roll in the television film Elvis. Shortly after his turn as the musician, he appeared in Escape From New York, which was also directed by John Carpenter. The movie was a big success, and the pair eventually made a sequel, Escape from LA, in 1996, although it failed to reach the same levels of acclaim.
Russell’s career in Hollywood skyrocketed in the 1980s, and he could be seen in movies like Carpenter’s The Thing, Jonathan Demme’s Swing Shift, and the Oscar-nominated Silkwood with Meryl Streep. The actor’s success has continued into the 21st century, with roles in everything from Vanilla Sky and Furious 7 to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and The Hateful Eight.
It’s so easy to forget about Russell’s Disney childhood beginnings when you see him playing lead characters in action movies and thrillers, such as the murderous stuntman in Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. Yet, Russell really was one of Disney’s most important stars when he was a teenager, and his friendship with Walt was actually rather close. Disney trusted the young actor’s opinions a lot, so much so that he would show Russell previews of upcoming movies to see what he thought – and if he believed anything should be changed.
Thus, Russell can proudly say he helped to shape Mary Poppins, a classic Disney movie that blended live-action and animation, enduring as a family favourite decades later. The movie, which starred Julie Andrews (believe it or not, in her first ever film performance) and Dick Van Dyke, was shown to a young Russell, who wasn’t convinced of its brilliance.
Talking to GQ, Russell revealed that Disney asked if he liked the movie, to which he replied, “I thought it was okay.” When asked if he’d show it to his pals, the young actor reportedly told him, “Nah.” Thus, Disney realised something was missing – “we need some penguins!,” he cried. Russell has “no doubt” that the movie was influenced by his opinion after he was shown an early version of it.
Concluding, “There were other movies, too. I was a perfect audience for him in that regard. Now, is there any credit to be taken there? None, absolutely none. What I got to witness was a genius at work, okay? What I knew, in those instances…I knew my opinion mattered.”
