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) |
| Occupation |
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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 and comedian. She is known for her roles in TV shows and movies. Julia was a cast member on the TV show Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1994. She played Mrs. Keeper in the movie Stuart Little. She also voiced Brittany in Father of the Pride and Sheri Squibbles in Monsters University.
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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. Julia is the oldest of five children.
From a young age, she loved to imitate voices and create 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 companies like Columbia Pictures.
Becoming a Comedian
In 1988, Julia started taking classes with the Groundlings. This is a famous group that teaches improvisational comedy. She soon became part of their performing team. At the Groundlings, Julia created many characters. She later used these characters in her stage shows, movies, and TV roles. One of her well-known characters was Pat. Pat was a person whose gender was always a mystery.
Her Time on Saturday Night Live
In 1989, the producer of Saturday Night Live (SNL), Lorne Michaels, saw Julia perform. He invited her to join the SNL cast. She became a regular cast member the next year. Julia stayed on the show for four seasons, from 1990 to 1994.
Her most famous character on SNL was Pat. The mystery of Pat's gender was the main joke in these popular sketches. Later, a movie called It's Pat was made based on the character.
One-Woman Shows
After leaving Saturday Night Live, Julia Sweeney started performing one-woman shows. These shows are called monologues. She tells stories about her own life in a funny and touching way.
God Said Ha!
Julia's first monologue was called God Said Ha!. She shared stories about personal challenges she faced. She first performed this show in San Francisco in 1995.
God Said Ha! later moved to Broadway in New York City. It won an award and a CD recording of the show was nominated for a Grammy Award. A movie version of the show was released in 1998. Julia directed the film herself.
In the Family Way
Julia's second monologue was In the Family Way. In this show, she talked about adopting her daughter from China. The show started in New York City in 2003. She also released a CD recording of this show.
Letting Go of God
Her third monologue was titled Letting Go of God. In this show, Julia talked about her Catholic upbringing. She shared how her beliefs changed over time. She explained how she came to believe that the universe works without a god.
An audio recording of Letting Go of God came out in 2006. A film of the live show was released in 2008.
Julia Sweeney: Older and Wider
After taking some time off, Julia returned with her fourth monologue. This show was called Julia Sweeney: Older and Wider. She talked about current events, politics, and religion in a humorous way. The show was very popular and sold out its performances in Los Angeles.
Other Acting Roles
Julia Sweeney has appeared in many movies and TV shows.
She had a small role in the movie Pulp Fiction in 1994. Other movies she appeared in include Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Coneheads, Vegas Vacation, and Stuart Little.
Julia has also done a lot of voice acting for animated shows and movies. She was the voice of Wanda MacPherson in Baby Blues. She also voiced Margo on The Goode Family and Sheri Squibbles in Pixar's 2013 movie Monsters University.
On television, Julia was a regular on shows like George and Leo and Maybe It's Me. She also made guest appearances on popular shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun, Mad About You, and Frasier. In 2019, she played a guest role in the comedy series Brooklyn 99.
Julia also performed with singer/songwriter Jill Sobule in a show called Jill and Julia. This show combined music, stories, and commentary. From 2009 to 2010, Julia was also a regular panelist on the NPR radio quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.
Personal Life
Julia Sweeney is married to scientist Michael Blum. They live in Los Angeles with their daughter. Their daughter was adopted from China. Julia is also a strong supporter of people who are not religious. In 2019, she joined the board of directors for the Center for Inquiry.
Works and Publications
- 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
