Julia Duffy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julia Duffy
Duffy on The Doctors in 1975
Born	Julia Margaret Hinds (1951-06-27) June 27, 1951 (age 73) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Alma mater	American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Occupation	Actress author
Years active	1972–present
Known for	Newhart Baby Talk Designing Women Drake & Josh
Spouse(s)	Jerry Lacy ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	2

Julia Margaret Duffy (born Julia Margaret Hinds; June 27, 1951) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows.

From 1983 to 1990, she played Stephanie Vanderkellen in the TV series Newhart. This role brought her a lot of praise. She received seven nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards. She also won three awards from Viewers for Quality Television and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

After Newhart ended, Duffy continued acting in television. She played Maggie Campbell on Baby Talk (1991). She also played Allison Sugarbaker on Designing Women (1991–1992). In the 2000s, Duffy appeared in shows like Reba and Drake & Josh. She also had roles in the comedy films Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd and Intolerable Cruelty in 2003. Later, she had recurring roles on Shameless (2011–2013) and Looking (2014–2015). She also appeared in the movie Camp X-Ray (2014).

Early Life and Education

Julia Margaret Hinds was born on June 27, 1951. Her birthplace was Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was the youngest of four daughters. Her parents were Joseph Hinds and Mary Duffy.

When Julia was seven years old, her father passed away. Her mother later remarried. Her mother also worked as a real estate agent.

Julia started acting when she was a teenager. She performed in local plays at the Old Log Theatre in Minneapolis. At age 18, she was in a play called The Girl in the Freudian Slip. In 1970, Duffy moved to New York City. She joined the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She graduated from there in 1972. While studying, she worked as a waitress and a hatcheck girl.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Her Career

Julia Duffy's early career included roles in soap operas. Some of these were One Life to Live, The Doctors, and Love of Life. In 1978, Duffy starred in a popular Broadway play. It was a new version of Once in a Lifetime.

She also appeared in supporting roles in movies. These included the horror film Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981). This movie was also known as Night Warning. She was also in Cutter's Way (1981). In 1982, she appeared in an episode of the TV show Cheers. She was first considered for the main female role of Diane Chambers in that show.

In 1983, she played Princess Ariel Baaldorf. This was in the TV series Wizards and Warriors. This show was a medieval adventure comedy. It ran for one season on the CBS network.

Success with Newhart

In 1982, Duffy was a guest star on the TV show Newhart. She played Stephanie Vanderkellen. Stephanie was a rich heiress. She was also the snobby cousin of the Stratford Inn's maid, Leslie.

At the start of the second season, Duffy became a main cast member. She took over as the Stratford's maid. She continued to play Stephanie for the rest of the show's run. For this role, she received many awards and nominations. She was nominated for an Emmy Award every year from 1984 to 1990. She also received a Golden Globe nomination. She won three Viewers For Quality Television awards. She was also nominated five times for the American Comedy Awards.

Julia Duffy was pregnant twice while working on Newhart. The first time, she wore loose clothes to hide her pregnancy. The second time, her pregnancy was written into the show. Her character, Stephanie, became a mother in the eighth season. As of 2023, she was still in touch with Bob Newhart, the show's star.

After Newhart Ended

After Newhart finished in 1990, Duffy briefly starred in Baby Talk. She worked alongside George Clooney in this show. However, she asked to leave the show. This was because of problems on the set. The new producers allowed her to leave.

She then joined the cast of Designing Women in 1991. On Designing Women, she played Allison Sugarbaker. Allison was a cousin of the main characters. Duffy's time on the show's sixth season was very popular. It was the highest-rated season in the show's history. This was partly due to the new cast members, Duffy and Jan Hooks. However, she left the show due to different ideas about her character. She was then replaced by Judith Ivey.

From 1993 to 1995, Duffy played Barb Ballantine. This was in the comedy series The Mommies. Duffy also played Lindsay Mercer on The Drew Carey Show. Lindsay was an ex-wife of Lord Mercer. She has a recurring role on the Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh. She plays Mrs. Hayfer, a high-school English teacher who dislikes Drake. She also appeared on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. She played the rich mother of a boy named Jason. Jason went on a date with Maddie Fitzpatrick (Ashley Tisdale). She also made a short appearance in the Nickelodeon show True Jackson, VP.

In 2009, Duffy acted with Kelly McGillis in a play. It was called The Little Foxes at the Pasadena Playhouse. She later appeared there again in 'The Heiress'. In the 2010s, Duffy had recurring roles. These were on HBO's Looking and Showtime's Shameless. She also appeared in Scream Queens and Key and Peele. In 2014, she had a supporting role with Kristen Stewart. This was in the movie Camp X-Ray.

Her theater work includes the Broadway play Once in a Lifetime. She has also performed in many regional theaters. More recently, Duffy was in a play called Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. This was at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. She received an award nomination for her role in this play. In December 2016, Duffy co-starred in an Off-Broadway play. It was called Rancho Viejo. A critic from The New York Times praised her performance. She also starred in the comedy The Outsider at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey.

Other Activities

Duffy also wrote a book. It is called Bad Auditions. The book was published in 2018.

Personal Life

Julia Duffy married actor Jerry Lacy in 1984. Jerry Lacy was a co-star in Dark Shadows and Love of Life.

In 1986, they had their first child, a daughter named Kerry. In August 1989, Duffy gave birth to their second child, a son named Daniel. Sadly, Daniel passed away in April 2019.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Stage Plays

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

• 

  A robot for kids