The Balloon Lady is a minor protagonist in Mary Poppins Returns portrayed by Angela Lansbury as a balloon vendor in the park. Her balloons seem to have a magical quality as the name of whoever buys them appears on them.
Background
Just as Miranda's Jack is intended to be a spiritual successor to Bert from the original film, Lansbury's character has been described as the sequel's version of the "Bird Woman". Lansbury has had an impressive acting career spanning eight decades, but Disney fans may know her best as the voice of Mrs. Potts in 1991's Beauty and the Beast.
Appearances
Mary Poppins Returns
The Balloon Lady plays an important role during the end of the film aside from only being seen in the background at the beginning. During the carnival, the Banks family encounters her who gives balloons to which they all have fun with them, followed by Admiral Boom and Mr. Binnacle who are all having fun with balloons and everyone happy to receive a balloon, followed by Mary receiving one to which she lets it go.
Trivia
- Angela Lansbury, who portrayed The Balloon Lady, portrayed Miss Eglantine Price in the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Ironically, she was considered to play Mary Poppins in the original film before Julie Andrews was cast.
- Julie Andrews, who played Mary Poppins in the original film, was originally offered to do a cameo in Mary Poppins Returns but turned it down so it could be "Emily Blunt's show". Though Andrews' planned cameo hasn't been revealed, it's assumed that The Balloon Lady would have been her part due her prominence at the film's end and her relationship with Mary.
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