On The Sound of Music 50th anniversary we have to ask — where are the onscreen von Trapp Family Singers now? The movie musical may have premiered on March 2, 1965, but 50 years later we still can’t get enough of the von Trapp Brady Bunch. After all, The Sound of Music is still one of our favorite things.
Julie Andrews (Maria)
Er, she’s Julie bloody Andrews. She has played a queen on the screen and she’s a queen in our hearts. If you didn’t catch her surprise appearance at the Oscars, you can comfort yourself with your The Princess Diaries and Victor/Victoria DVDs, and her more recent voice work in the Shrek sequels and Despicable Me, to name but a few. She has authored an autobiography, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, and several children’s books.
Christopher Plummer (Captain Von Trapp)
At the age of 85, Christopher Plummer shows no signs of slowing down. He won his first Academy Award in 2012 for Beginners, making him the oldest recipient of the award. Upcoming roles include Danny Collins with Al Pacino, and voice work in Pixies and Reds and Grays.
Charmian Carr (Liesl)
Charmian Carr only took one other acting role after The Sound of Music, in Stephen Sondheim’s Evening Primrose, which was broadcast in 1966. She now lives in California, where she operates an interior design firm, and has authored two books: Forever Liesl and Letters to Liesl.
Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich)
Unlike many of his onscreen siblings, Nicholas Hammond has continued an acting career to the present day. He’s even taken a turn at Peter Parker (at this point, who hasn’t?), in the late 1970s series, The Amazing Spider-Man.
Heather Menzies-Urich (Louisa)
Heather Menzies-Urich continued acting (as Heather Menzies) primarily in TV parts through the 1970s and 1980s. Her most recent onscreen role was on American Dreamer in 1990.
Duane Chase (Kurt)
Taking only two more roles after The Sound of Music, Duane Chase turned to the world of academia as he pursued an interest in geology. He now designs computer software for geologists and geophysicists, and lives in Seattle, Washington.
Angela Cartwright (Brigitta)
Angela Cartwright continued acting into the 1980s, starring in Lost in Space from 1965-1968 and Make Room for Granddaddy from 1970-1971. She has since authored several books on art, and one closer to her Hollywood roots: Styling the Stars: Lost Treasures from the Twentieth Century Fox Archive.
Debbie Turner (Marta)
The Sound of Music was one of only two acting roles for Debbie Turner. She then began her floral and event design company in California, before moving to Chanhassen, Minnesota, where she currently lives.
Kym Karath (Gretl)
After taking several TV roles up until 1981, Kym Karath briefly modelled and studied art history, before moving to Greenwich, Connecticut where she lives.
Happy ‘The Sound of Music’ 50th anniversary!
The cast reunite on Oprah for the film’s 45th anniversary in 2010.