The Only Major Actors Still Alive From The Sound Of Music

It's been nearly 60 years since Julie Andrews first sang about how the hills of Austria were alive with the sound of music, but "The Sound of Music" remains a beloved cinematic treasure. Vividly colorful, unabashedly musical, and anchored by Andrews' performance, the story of Maria the would-be nun, and her small army of new wards — the Von Trapp children — is still rewatched and referenced often across the world.

With more than half a century of retrospect, "The Sound of Music" has also become a bit of a historical document: Much of the film's cast and crew has since passed away, with the exception of Andrews herself and five of the seven actors who embodied the Von Trapp kids. Heather Menzies (Louisa) and Charmian Carr (Liesl) have both passed away in recent years, as has Christopher Plummer, who embodied family patriarch Captain Georg Von Trapp in the classic. The rest of the Von Trapp kids have all led varied lives inside and outside the film industry, while Andrews' sterling reputation as a leading lady has only solidified with age.

The star of "The Sound of Music" was still in her 20s when she took on the role of Austrian nun in training Maria, but the movie is hardly the only highlight of Andrews' storied career on stage and screen. The actress, who earned an Oscar nomination for the role, went on to star in movies like the drag musical "Victor/Victoria" (which earned her another Oscar nod), the saucy 1979 comedy "10," and the 1967 rom-com "Thoroughly Modern Millie," plus shows like "The Julie Andrews Hour."

Much of Andrews' most recognizable post-"Sound of Music," though, is in the family film sphere. The actress became the austere but secretly benevolent grandmother of a whole generation with her turn as Queen Clarisse in the "Princess Diaries" films, took on another queenly role in the latter Shrek films, and even played Gru's mom in "Despicable Me." Andrews also appeared in "Enchanted," the Pink Panther live-action films, and the "Eloise" movies, though she recently returned to more adult fare as the narrator of Netflix's "Bridgerton" and its spinoff series.

Though Andrews' only Oscar win was for her early role in "Mary Poppins," she's still considered one of the most highly decorated working actors. In addition to having a BAFTA, a couple of Emmys, and three Grammys, Andrews was given the title Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. Sadly, Andrews lost her singing voice in 1997 after a surgery on her vocal cords for which she later filed a malpractice suit. A multi-talented artist who's not just beloved for her voice, Andrews has also authored several memoirs and children's books. Andrews is also a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

The actor who played the eldest boy Friedrich in "The Sound of Music" had only been featured in one movie role before being cast in the film, but after it was released, his career seems to have taken off. Hammond has now been acting for 60 years, and most recently appeared in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" as real-life actor-director Sam Wanamaker. Other major projects he's appeared in over the years include the 1970s "The Amazing Spider-Man" TV show (he played Peter Parker!), the sci-fi flick "Stealth," a "Crocodile Dundee" film, and popular shows like "Dallas" and "Murder, She Wrote."

Hammond was the first live-action Peter Parker and continued playing the web-slinging hero in three TV movies throughout the late '70s, although the series was canceled after just two seasons. The actor moved to Australia in the '80s and has since done work as a director and screenwriter as well. He wrote the 1998 miniseries "A Difficult Woman" as well as 1999's "Secret Men's Business." He also directed and co-wrote the incredibly named play "Lying Cheating Bastard" with magician James Galea.

Unlike some of his co-stars, the child actor who played young Kurt Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" didn't stay in Hollywood for long. In fact, the classic musical is his only credited film role, though he also popped up in an uncredited role in the Disney Boy Scouts film "Follow Me, Boys!" and the Western show "The Big Valley" the year after the release of "The Sound of Music."

According to an interview with Parade in 2016, Chase didn't exactly catch the acting bug from his time in the film, but he did find a love of the outdoors. "I did take off at times, totally unannounced to cast, crew, and just about anybody else — only to not be there when we had to start filming again," he told the outlet, describing impromptu bike rides and hikes. Those adventures eventually translated to his line of work: Chase stopped acting after high school, instead studying geology. He's since worked as a U.S. Forest Service employee and firefighter, and most recently worked as a designer and analyst at "a geophysical and geological software company."

In "The Sound of Music," Cartwright played Brigitta Von Trapp, the sassy originator of such memorable lines as "I'm 10, and I think your dress is the ugliest one I ever saw" and "never eat your soup quietly." After that film, Cartwright continued acting on and off but also fostered an impressive career across multiple mediums. As of publication time, she's written or contributed to at least 14 books and zines, including a "Lost in Space" photo memoir alongside Bill Mumy, the fantasy novel "On Purpose" (also co-authored by Mumy), books about art techniques and Hollywood fashion, and several issues of the art zine "Pasticcio Quartz."

An artist with an interest in art, fashion, photography, and more, Cartwright hasn't acted in an on-screen role since the Netflix "Lost in Space" reboot in 2018. Other on-screen credits include appearances on "The Love Boat" and "Logan's Run," a role in the Michael Caine and Sally Field-led film "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure," and another in the made-for-TV film "High School U.S.A." Cartwright's most high-profile post "Sound of Music" role, though, was on the classic '60s sci-fi series "Lost in Space," in which she played middle kid Penny (who famously had a monkey named Debbie the Bloop, because why not?). In addition to her guest appearance as a different character on Netflix's reboot, Cartwright also cameoed in the 1998 "Lost in Space" movie.

Turner played young Marta in "The Sound of Music," and it turned out to be the then-child actor's only major role on screen. On her website, Turner explains that by the time she was cast in the musical, she had already worked often as a child actor in ads. "I was already a pretty seasoned commercial actress by the age of 6, having acted in numerous commercials promoting dolls, toys, cars, food, and other products," Turner writes.

Her only other film appearance came playing an unnamed character in the 1979 film "North Dallas Forty," but Turner keeps busy with Debbie Turner Originals, an event and floral design company that's reportedly been in business for over 30 years. According to Turner, she remains close with her co-stars from decades ago. "It's amazing to me that my best friends in the world are the people with whom I starred with in the film," she writes on her website.

The youngest and most adorable Von Trapp child was played by Kym Karath. In a reunion interview, Julie Andrews told "Good Morning America" (per ABC) that Karath really couldn't swim in a scene that required her to fall out of a boat, but that probably stressful experience didn't deter the child actor from continuing in show biz — for a while. After "The Sound of Music," Karath appeared mostly on television, guest starring on her co-star Cartwright's series "Lost in Space" and taking on brief roles in sitcoms and soaps like "The Brady Bunch," "The Waltons," "All My Children," and "Family Affair."

Unfortunately, Karath fell prey to the notoriously exploitative Hollywood casting system. "When I hit puberty, and I was quite developed for my age, there were a lot of horrible people who came forward," she told Fox News in 2023, adding that her parents were "terrified" for her and told her to focus on school rather than acting. Her later attempt to re-enter the industry wasn't much better: "Going back into it, after I graduated from university, it was casting couch all over again," she told the outlet. "It was horrible. And I fled."

According to Business Insider, Karath graduated from USC and later moved to Paris, where she worked as a model and studied art history. Her most recent role was in the 1981 horror coming-of-age movie "Midnight Offerings." Karath, whose adult son Eric suffered a stroke as a baby, co-founded The Aurelia Foundation alongside the parents of other children with unique needs. Better known as the nonprofit program Creative Steps, the program supports adults with developmental disabilities by fostering community, teaching computers and other skills, and helping participants who are able to work gain part-time employment.