Julie Andrews achieved unprecedented consecutive global success with Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music in the mid-1960s, establishing herself as Hollywood's premier female star. However, her career stalled for years following a string of commercial failures and ultimately required a comeback. In 1982, she returned to prominence in Victor/Victoria, a musical comedy directed by her husband Blake Edwards that centred on a struggling performer in 1930s Paris who achieves success by disguising her gender. The film's narrative exploration of identity and gender presentation proved culturally prescient, earning seven Academy Award nominations despite earning only moderate box office revenue.

Decades later, at age 90, Andrews discussed the film's cultural significance in a 2022 interview, acknowledging that it anticipated major social shifts. She emphasised that the film's primary purpose was to celebrate diverse forms of love rather than serve as political commentary, though she recognised its thematic resonance with evolving social attitudes. When reflecting on whether contemporary society had caught up to the film's vision, Andrews suggested it had made progress on gender and identity issues but fallen short of complete acceptance, comparing the incomplete progress to ongoing debates surrounding abortion and other social questions.