Latest news with #KymKarath
Fox News
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'The Sound of Music' child star shares the secret to cast's 60-year friendship
The hills are alive – with the sound of a reunion. The former child stars of "The Sound of Music," who have remained friends for 60 years, recently reunited in Florence, Italy. Kym Karath, who played the youngest von Trapp sibling, Gretl, shared photos of the group catching up and enjoying bottles of wine on her Instagram. "The Sound of Music in Florence – the five of us!" the 66-year-old captioned a group photo. In the snap, Karath appeared alongside Nicholas Hammond, 75, who played the eldest von Trapp son, Friedrich; Duane Chase, 74, who played Kurt; Angela Cartwright, 72, who played Brigitta; and Debbie Turner, 68, who played Marta. It was a bittersweet reunion for the pals. Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa, died in 2017 at the age of 68. Charmian Carr, who was the eldest sibling Liesl, passed away in 2016 at age 73. Christopher Plummer, who played the family patriarch Captain von Trapp, died in 2021 at the age of 91. "Celebrating together in Florence with all my film siblings was a complete delight," Karath told Fox News Digital. "Being together, the five of us, in one of the most beautiful cities, Florence, and appearing in the breathtaking historic theater Teatro Niccolini, built in 1648, was absolutely magical," she gushed. "The press was wonderful, and the fans were overwhelmingly warm and enthusiastic." Karath said it's a no-brainer that the castmates have remained close over the years. "I think the secret behind our friendship is the secret of all enduring friendships, although ours started at a film studio; staying close, loyal, and being there for one another," the actress explained. "As for the film's enduring appeal, beyond the soaring melodies and beautiful locations, it is the story of a real family who loved one another and were truly courageous." "The Sound of Music" premiered on March 2, 1965. The Oscar-winning film was inspired by the real-life von Trapp family that fled Austria to escape the Nazi regime. It tells the tale of a 1930s governess who watches over the large family and their widowed father, with the help of music. Descendants of the von Trapp family now run the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort in Vermont. "Here is a little-known fact - the film family is friends with the real family," said Karath. "I just had a wonderful conversation with Elizabeth von Trapp, Werner's daughter. Werner was portrayed by Duane Chase… and they became friends. When Werner passed away, he left Duane his beautiful Austrian jacket." There's also one good reason why the cast enjoyed an Italian getaway. "We are currently working on a documentary and filmed [it] while we were in Florence together!" she teased. The actress was just three years old when she was scouted while having a cheeseburger at her father's restaurant in California. However, Karath's claim to fame was the film adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music." Karath previously told Fox News Digital that being on the set in Salzburg was "spellbinding." "One of the best things about that movie for me was becoming a family," Karath explained. "And we did become one in real life. And being in Salzburg, Austria, I think, started my profound love of Europe and history. [But] it was not a fun thing missing my father and brother. But my sister and mother were with me. And our group really became a family, which was wonderful." The film's leading lady, Julie Andrews, quickly developed a close-knit bond with the child actors. The star, now 86, went on to win a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Maria. Karath described the actress as "a gift." WATCH: 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC' ACTRESS KYM KARATH RECALLS CLOSE BOND WITH JULIE ANDREWS, WHY SHE 'FLED' HOLLYWOOD "I loved her from the minute I met her," she gushed. "There is never a bad moment with Julie Andrews – never. She's just the sweetest, most unbelievable, talented, brilliant human… I think we all have the same favorite memory to some extent. That was when she took out her guitar and she just sang to us. And she would have us sing with her in between the scenes to amuse us, to entertain us, to make the time pass. She was a pure delight." Plummer did not offer the same warm and fuzzy feeling, she said. "At the time, he was kind of standoffish," Karath admitted. "Very handsome, but I really wasn't noticing men being handsome at [age] five – actually let me correct myself. I noticed that George Chakiris was handsome when he was in 'West Side Story.'" But that all changed decades later. "There was an event for 9/11 at the Westport Country Playhouse… I went backstage to see him, and he was waiting for me. Paul Newman was the master of ceremonies. He and [his wife] Joanne Woodward grabbed me backstage and said, 'Your father's been pacing the floor, he's dying to see you!'… Such a lovely man. So courtly, charming and funny. Truly delightful."
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Child stars of iconic movie reunite 60 years on for a holiday in Florence... but can you guess which beloved box office hit they starred in?
They starred in an iconic movie that made over $100 million at the box office as well as spawning some of the most beloved musical tunes of all time. And this week the child stars of The Sound Of Music proved their friendship is still strong sixty years after they met on set. Five of the seven actors who played Governess Maria's (played by Julie Andrews) charges have swapped Salzburg for Florence, reuniting for a holiday together. Kym Karath, 66, who played youngest von Trapp sibling Gretl, shared a group shot of the fivesome as they shared bottles of wine and a catchup in the Italian countryside. 'The Sound of Music in Florence - the five of us! #thesoundofmusicinflorence,' Kym captioned the photo. Kym posed alongside Nicholas Hammond, 75, who played the eldest von Trapp son Friedrich, Duane Chase, 74, who took on the role Kurt, Angela Cartwright, 72, who was Brigitta, and Debbie Turner, 68, who played her sister Marta. Sadly Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa, died in 2017 at the age of 68 and Charmian Carr, who was the eldest sibling Liesl, died in 2016 aged 73. Christopher Pummer, who starred as the children's father, retired naval officer Captain von Trapp, also died - in 2021 at the age of 91. Kym gushed about the surviving group's enduring friendship in 2022, declaring: 'We're beyond friends. We're second family. As adults, we were deeply bonded, so our lives have really interwoven with each other.' The Sound Of Music went on to become a bonafide hit, earning the distinction of being the first film to gross over $100 million. Adjusted for inflation, The Sound Of Music earned about $2.366 billion at today's prices—placing it among the top ten highest-grossing films of all time. Kym, Nicholas, Duane, Angela and Debbie previously reunited in 2022 to support their on-screen governess-turned stepmother Julie Andrews, who received the American Film Institute's highest honour for a career in film at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Andrews was cast as Maria after Sound Of Music's director Robert Wise watched footage of the young actress in Mary Poppins, which hadn't yet been released. At the time the now-celebrated actress was unknown to audiences, having only acted in the unreleased Mary Poppins and another unscreened project. After watching just a few minutes of footage of Andrews, Wise told his screenwriter Ernest Lehman 'Let's go sign this girl before somebody else sees this film and grabs her!' Plummer meanwhile was a trickier casting, turning down the role multiple times before accepting on the assurance that he could work with Lehman to change certain character traits of the Captain which were part of the original 1959 stage musical. The casting of the child actors took place later in 1963 with over two hundred auditions across the US and England. The likes of Mia Farrow, Kurt Russell and The Osmonds all screen tested for the roles but were unsuccessful. Filming began at 20th Century-Fox studios in Los Angeles in Spring 1964 before production moved to Salzburg for the movie's iconic exterior scenes. Julie Andrews, who up to then was known as a Broadway actress, saw her fame soar after the release of Mary Poppins in December 1964 and The Sound Of Music just three months later. The film's child stars though had varying fortunes after the success of the movie. Liesl, played by Charmian Carr Charmian Carr played Liesl, the eldest of the von Trapp children, who famously sung '16 going on 17' and had a romance with Rolf Gruber, who eventually joins the Nazi party and betrayed the von Trapps. Charmian was studying speech therapy and philosophy at college when her mother arranged for her to audition for the Sound of Music. Afterwards she worked with Van Johnson on a pilot of a TV show, Take Her, She's Mine and went on to appear in Evening Primrose, a Stephen Sondheim musical. She quit Hollywood after marrying a dentist, Jay Brent (whom she divorced in 1991), to focus on raising her two daughters Jennifer and Emily, before becoming a successful interior designer. Later she became the grandmother of Emma and Derek. She died from complications related to dementia in September 2016, aged 73. Brigitta, played by Angela Cartwright British-born Angela was 13 when she played the role of 10-year-old Brigitta, but she already had a solid career as a child actress behind her. Aged three she appeared as Paul Newman's daughter in the film Somebody Up There Likes Me, and starred in seven seasons of the US TV series Make Room for Daddy. After The Sound of Music, she continued her acting career and starred in the TV series Lost in Space and Make Room for Granddaddy. But after having her two children - Jesse and Rebecca Gullion - she swapped acting for other artistic pursuits. She has been a photographer for more than 30 years and her work is displayed at her studio in Studio City, Los Angeles. In 2019 she made a cameo appearance as Dr. Smith's mother, Sheila Harris, in the third episode of the second season of the 2018 Netflix re-imagined Lost In Space series. Clearly acting talent runs in the family, her sister is X-files star Veronica Cartwright. Kurt, played by Duane Chase Duane was 15 years old when he took on the role of 11-year-old Kurt von Trapp. He continued acting until his teens, including an appearance in the 1966 Kurt Russell film, Follow Me, Boys! as well as acting in Western TV series The Big Valley. Chase switched gears in college, earning a bachelor's and master's degree in geology and working as a software engineer. He lives in Washington and is returning to wildlife and forestry work. He is married to Petra Maria, who was born in Hamburg, Germany and is a registered nurse. Friedrich, played by Nicholas Hammond: Actor and television writer The Sound Of Music was just the beginning of a flourishing career in entertainment for Nicholas Hammond. Left in the film, right last night The Sound Of Music was just the beginning of a flourishing career in entertainment for Nicholas Hammond. His best known role is probably his performance as Peter Parker in the television series The Amazing Spider-Man but movie buffs will always remember him as 14-year-old Friedrich describes himself as 'impossible' on introduction to Maria. After playing the eldest von Trapp son, he went on to play guest roles in popular shows such as The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote as well as a recurring part in Dallas. In 2009, he made his directing debut with Lying Cheating Bastard, a play he co-wrote with magician James Galea. Hammond lives in Australia with his partner, actress Robyn Nevin, and is a writer for Australian television. He also has an English degree from Princeton to his name. In 2019 he portrayed director Sam Wanamaker in the Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Gretl, played by Kym Karath Five-year-old Karath stole hearts when she played the youngest von Trapp child Gretl. Roles in Lost In Space and The Brady Bunch followed, but after going to college at USC, she focused on parenting rather than performing when her son Eric was born with disabilities. Along with other parents, Karath helped establish the Aurelia Foundation, which provides services for special-needs individuals once they finish high school. She resumed her entertainment career as an actress and writer in 2005. Karath has said she still is not fond of water after nearly drowning in the boat scene in Sound of Music, because she couldn't swim. Louisa, played by Heather Menzies-Urich The Sound Of Music was Heather Menzies-Urich's first movie, and she continued to enjoy a successful acting career, appearing in films and TV shows such as Logan's Run, S.W.A.T and The Love Boat. She married John Cluett in 1969, but they divorced in 1973. She wed her second husband, actor Robert Urich, in 1975, and the couple adopted three children. Menzie-Urich stepped away from the limelight after Robert's death from a rare form of cancer in 2002. She set up the non-profit organisation The Robert Urich Foundation, which provides funding for cancer research and to help families relocate for specialised treatment, and dedicated her later years to the project. Menzies-Urich was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in November 2017 and died on December 24, 2017 - 21 days after her 68th birthday. Marta, played by Debbie Turner Debbie was as much an athlete as an actress as a child, and she opted for sports after playing Marta von Trapp. Before being cast as the cheeky six (almost seven!) year-old, she was already a seasoned commercial actress starring in ads promoting dolls, toys, cars, and food. But she stopped acting and the keen skier and mother-of-four began a new career as an interior designer and now owns a floral-design business in Minnesota. She was called on to provide flowers for a wedding in Salzburg, Austria, at a palace that inspired the sets of The Sound Of Music.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Loose Women reunite child stars of The Sound Of Music ahead of musical's 60th anniversary - but it goes seriously wrong
Loose Women reunited the child stars of The Sound Of Music as it celebrates its 60th anniversary - but the segment was plagued with issues on Friday. Friday's episode of the ITV daytime show saw Kaye Adams anchor the panel, which was made up of Olivia Attwood, Jane Moore and Oti Mabuse. During the show they marked the 60th anniversary of The Sound Of Music and were joined by four of the iconic child stars. Kaye, 62, welcomed Angela Cartwright, Kym Karath, Debbie Turner and Duane Chase who tuned in via video link from Italy. However, as the panelists enjoyed the nostalgic trip down memory lane, sound issues plagued the broadcast. Throughout the interview viewers at home could hear static and muffling from the audio, before it dipped at times. Kaye addressed the problems, telling fans: 'Can we just apologise to viewers there's a slight sound issue there but I think we'll persevere with it.' Fans took to social media to give out about the issue, as one wrote: 'The hills are alive with the sound of static.' A second penned: 'This is painful.' During the chat, the Loose ladies asked the child stars how long it really took to film the iconic scene in the Swiss Alps with Julie Andrews. Angela, 72, replied: 'That particular one, I think we were there for two days, but the whole sequence took weeks to film because we were all over Austria for different locations. 'Our director had storybook to everything, so he knew exactly where we were going to be at what time.' Meanwhile, during an appearance on This Morning earlier this year, fans were stunned at how incredible Debbie looked. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, one viewer said: 'They haven't aged at all...' 'Time has certainly been kind to them,' another echoed. While a third said: 'Looking amazing, ladies!' Others couldn't help but praise The Sound Of Music. Another said: 'Repping my favourite Human today in my new tshirt. Queen Dame Julie Andrews Also love the fact This Morning were just discussing The Sound Of Music !!' 'The Sound Of Music was a good film,' a third chimed in. A fourth added: 'Good film The Sound Of Music.' While a fifth said on YouTube: 'Thank you for this. Great interview. I'm now 66 & saw the film when it first came out & am still a huge fan.' Another added: 'My favourite film of all time. I'm 38. Julie Andrews is mine and my mammies favourite woman! Never gets old.'
