Julia Sweeney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julia Sweeney
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Sweeney in 2008
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| Born |
Julia Anne Sweeney
October 10, 1959 Spokane, Washington, U.S.
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| Education | University of Washington (BA) |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Stephen Hibbert
(m. 1989; div. 1994)Michael Blum
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 1 |
Julia Anne Sweeney (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, comedian, and author. She is well-known for her time on the TV show Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1994. Julia also played Mrs. Keeper in the movie Stuart Little. You might have heard her voice as Brittany in Father of the Pride. More recently, she appeared in the TV series Shrill, Work in Progress, and American Gods.
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Early Life and Education
Julia Sweeney was born and grew up in Spokane, Washington. Her father was a lawyer, and her mother was a homemaker. She is the oldest of five children.
Even as a child, Julia loved to imitate voices and create different characters. She went to Marycliff High School and Gonzaga Preparatory School. There, she acted in many school plays. She later studied economics and European history at the University of Washington. After college, Julia moved to Los Angeles. She worked as an accountant for movie studios like Columbia Pictures and United Artists.
Julia Sweeney's Career
In 1988, while still working as an accountant, Julia started taking classes with an improv comedy group called the Groundlings. She eventually became a part of their main team. At the Groundlings, she started creating characters. These characters later became famous on stage, in movies, and on TV. One of her popular characters was Pat.
Time on Saturday Night Live
In 1989, Julia was invited to join Saturday Night Live (SNL). She became a regular cast member the next year and stayed on the show for four seasons, from 1990 to 1994. Her most famous character was Pat. Pat's gender was always a mystery, and this was the main joke in the popular "It's Pat!" sketches on SNL. Later, a movie called It's Pat was made based on the character.
One-Woman Shows
After leaving Saturday Night Live, Julia Sweeney created several one-woman stage shows. These shows were based on her own life experiences.
God Said Ha!
After SNL, Julia faced some tough times. Her brother Michael was diagnosed with cancer, and soon after, Julia also found out she had cancer. Sadly, her brother did not survive. During these experiences, Julia started telling stories about what she was going through. She performed these funny and serious stories at a comedy club in Los Angeles. These stories grew into her first one-woman show, God Said Ha!. It first opened in San Francisco in 1995.
God Said Ha! later moved to Broadway. It won an award at the New York Comedy Festival in 1996. A CD recording of the show was even nominated for a Grammy Award. A film version of the show was released in 1998. It was directed by Julia herself. The film won an award at the Seattle International Film Festival.
In the Family Way
Julia's second one-woman show was called In the Family Way. This show was about her journey to adopt her daughter from China. The show started in New York City in 2003. Julia also released a CD recording of In the Family Way. In 2006, she performed a part of the show with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.
Letting Go of God
Julia's third one-woman show is titled Letting Go of God. In this show, she talks about growing up Catholic and her early religious beliefs. She shares how life events and her own thoughts led her to believe that the universe works on its own, without a god. She explains how she became an atheist. An audio recording of Letting Go of God was released in 2006, and it was filmed live on stage in 2007.
Julia Sweeney: Older and Wider
After taking some time away from the spotlight to be a mom, Julia returned with a fourth one-woman show. In this show, she talks about current events and other topics. The show was very popular and sold out its performances in Los Angeles.
Other Projects
Julia Sweeney has worked on many other projects. In 1992, she appeared in the music video for the song "Neighbor" by the rock band Ugly Kid Joe. She also provided voices for two of their songs.
She has had small roles in several movies. These include Pulp Fiction (1994), Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Coneheads, Vegas Vacation, and Stuart Little.
Julia has also done a lot of voice acting for animated TV shows and movies. She was the voice of Wanda MacPherson in Baby Blues. She also voiced Margo on The Goode Family, Dr. Glove on Back at the Barnyard, Miss Tronica on Lloyd in Space, and Sheri Squibbles in Pixar's movie Monsters University (2013).
On TV, Julia was a regular on George and Leo and Maybe It's Me. She also made guest appearances on shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun, Mad About You, and According to Jim. In 2004, she was in two episodes of Frasier. She also had a guest role on ... and the City and worked as a consultant for that show and Desperate Housewives. In 2019, she played a grandmother in the TV series Brooklyn 99.
Julia Sweeney has also performed with singer/songwriter Jill Sobule. Their show, called Jill and Julia, combined music, stories, and commentary. From 2009 to 2010, Julia was a regular panelist on the NPR radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. In 2021, Julia was cast in the third season of American Gods.
Julia has been a strong supporter of people who are not religious. In 2019, she joined the board of directors for the Center for Inquiry. From 2019 to 2021, Julia Sweeney was a recurring character on the Hulu series Shrill (TV series), playing the mother of Aidy Bryant's character. In 2025, Julia was featured in We Are Pat, a documentary about comedy and identity related to her SNL character.
Personal Life
Julia Sweeney is married to scientist Michael Blum. They live in Los Angeles with their daughter, whom they adopted from China.
Books by Julia Sweeney
- Sweeney, Julia, and Zander, Christine. It's Pat!: My Life Exposed. New York: Hyperion, 1992. ISBN: 978-1-562-82938-4
- Sweeney, Julia. God Said, "Ha!". New York: Bantam Books, 1997. ISBN: 978-0-553-10647-3
- Barker, Dan and Sweeney, Julia. The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God Ulysses Press, 2011. ISBN: 9781569758465
- Sweeney, Julia. If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. New York : Simon & Schuster, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-451-67404-0
See also
In Spanish: Julia Sweeney para niños
