Julie White - Semipro At 16, Still A Star At 62
First, acting in stage plays. Eventually, starring in TV shows. Soon appearing in movies. Plus, winning awards. That’s the remarkably divine Julie White!
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuNov 17, 202329.6K Shares395.4K Views
Is it the award-winning owner and managing director of the award-winning diamond drilling company D-Drill Group in the U.K., who also gets invited as a motivational speaker from time to time?
Nope. She’s not. You’re referring to the British Julie White, who’s only in her late fifties.
Perhaps the Boston University alumna who competed in the women’s high jump at the 1976 Summer Olympics?
Well, first, she’s Canadian. At 16, this Julie White became an Olympian and now a retired athlete at 63. No, it’s not her.
The “Julie White” we’re going to talk about here is the American lady whose Broadway career started in the late ‘80s.
Who Is Julie White?
Julie White was born on June 4, 1961 in the Balboa Naval Hospital (now referred to as Naval Medical Center San Diego or NMCSD) in Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
She mostly grew up in Austin, Texas. The White family relocated there when she was 3, where her parents bought a 1,200-acre ranch.
Her parents are Armer Edwin White, a dentist, and Sue Jane Terry-White (1934-2018), who were married for 26 years.
She has two siblings in Texas: a biological sister named Laura in Austin and a stepsister in Dallas named Terry Wegschieder-McCullough.
Based on an obituary published by Dallas Newsin 2018, Julie White’s mother married for the second time (to Donald Wegschieder) in 1984.
In her 2008 interview with Los Angeles Times, she said that these people are the ones she considered as her idols:
- her mother
- her grandmother, Ruby
- columnist and best-selling author Molly Ivins (1944-2007)
- Ann Richards (1933-2006), former Texas governor (1991-1995)
Education
As for her formal education, Julie White went to two universities, per a 2006 interview with The New York Times (NYT) article, albeit she didn’t finish.
Initially, she enrolled at Texas State University, which was still known as Southwest Texas State University during her time.
Perhaps the reason (or one of the reasons) why she transferred was because she found this school “too big.” That’s what she referred to her former school in the interview.
She then went to New York to take up an English degree at Fordham University.
Love For Cooking
When NYT interviewed Julie White again in 2015, readers learned that she enjoys preparing food.
She can whip up desserts like peach ice cream and blueberry corn muffins. She also described herself as “a really good fryer.” She said that she’d fry okra and catfish.
In addition, for someone who grew up in Texas, she admitted getting delighted cooking “really trashy Texas food” and then mentioned “pulled pork” and “brisket” as examples.
Julie White Husband
Julie White and Carl Pandel, who also hailed from Texas like her, got married in 1984 (she’s around 22-23) and they divorced in 1990.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Pandel owns a bar in New York’s Greenwich Village. He’s 22 years older than the actress.
They only have one child, Alexandra “Alex” Pandel, who was born in 1986.
Based on her online resume, she earned a Studio Art (Graphic Design) degree (with a minor in American Studies) from the University of Southern California, where she graduated magna cum laude.
She would sometimes join her celebrity mom in gracing Hollywood events, such as the Tony Awards in New York City.
In 2001, when she’s 39-40, Julie White married TV actor Christopher Conner. In 2008, her second marriage, unfortunately, also ended up in a divorce.
They have no children.
| Full Name | Julie White |
| Age | 62 (2023) |
| Date of Birth | June 4, 1961 |
| Place of Birth | Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Armer Edwin White; Sue Jane Terry-White (1934-2018) |
| Siblings | Laura White; Terry Wegschieder-McCullough |
| Education | Texas State University (undergrad); Fordham University (undergrad) |
| Civil Status | Divorced |
| First Marriage | Carl Pandel (1984-1990) |
| Children | Alexandra “Alex” Pandel (born 1986) |
| Second Marriage | Christopher Conner (2001-2008) |
| Children | none |
| Occupation | actress (stage, TV, film) |
| Net Worth | $3 million (2023 estimate) |
Julie White Broadway
Being a performer runs in Julie White’s blood.
Her mother, according to Dallas News, was a Fine Arts graduate from Baylor University in Texas, where she majored in Theatre Arts. The article complimented her as a “stand out” performer.
One time, her mother transformed herself into Mary Poppins and went to a school in Austin to discuss dental health.
She didn’t pursue professional acting but her daughter, Julie White, did.
Julie White revealed in her 2006 The New York Times interview that when she was in third grade, she had a stomach ulcer, compelling her to skip classes for a while.
While recuperating at home, she would watch musicals from TV, which she liked a lot. When she became a teenager, she started auditioning for local shows.
She was part of these two productions staged by a community theater in Austin:
- George Furth’s (1932-2008) Company(a musical)
- William Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona
Then she bagged the titular role in Alice in Wonderland, based on English author and poet Lewis Carroll’s (1832-1898) novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865).
That was Julie White’s “first professional engagement,” according to the Los Angeles Times. She was 16 when she played Alice.
It explains why she didn’t graduate from Fordham: she prioritized being a full-time stage actress.
From local theaters in Texas, Julie White succeeded landing a part in plays shown in regional theaters, such as:
| Play | Theater Company/Venue/Date |
| “On the Verge” | Huntington Theatre Company (Boston; 1985-1986) |
| “Largo desolato” | Yale Repertory Theatre (Connecticut; 1990-1991) |
| “Marvin’s Room” | Seattle Rep (Washington; January 1992) |
| “Absurd Person Singular” | Long Wharf Theatre (Connecticut; 1993) |
From January to March 1993, the Los Angeles-based Center Theatre Group staged Australian playwright David Williamson’s Money and Friends. She got a part in it.
It’s shown at UCLA James A. Doolittle Theatre in Hollywood, and she was 31 at that time.
Julie White also starred in a local production of Joseph Stein’s (1912-2010) musical The Baker’s Wife.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Stein and Stephen Schwartz, the musical’s composer, urged her to try her luck in New York.
She told the newspaper:
“„Until that moment, I never even thought that you could make a living as an actor.- Julie White
In April 1998, a 36-year-old Julie White made her stage debut in New York via the musical farce Lucky Stiff, the result of the collaboration between Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.
The musical premiered at Playwrights Horizons in Manhattan.
It’s followed by, per NYT:
- a small role in Wendy Wasserstein’s (1950-2006) Heidi Chronicles
- Theresa Rebeck’s Spike Heels(the cast included Kevin Baconand Tony Goldwyn) and Bad Dates(Rebeck wrote it for her)
In Donald Margulies’s Dinner with Friends, Julie White was the first one to play the role of Beth.
Julie White also starred in the following productions:
| The Heidi Chronicles (1989) | Airline Highway (2015) |
| The Little Dog Laughed (2006) | Sylvia (2015) |
| From Up Here (2008) | A Doll's House, Part 2 (2017) |
| Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2013) | Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (2019) |
For her performance in The Little Dog Laughed, a comedy play by playwright and screenwriter Douglas Carter Beane, Julie White won these two awards:
- the Obie Award (“Distinguished Performance”) in 2006
- the Tony Award (“Best Actress in a Play”) in 2007
She received a Tony nomination for her performance in:
- Lisa D’Amour’s Airline Highway
- Taylor Mac’s Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Note: Titus Andronicusis a late 16th-century tragedy by William Shakespeare.
TV Shows With Julie White
Through the years, Julie White has been cast in numerous TV shows.
She’s one of the seven main cast of Amazon Studios’ Alpha House (2013-2014), which has 20 episodes. She played the wife of a senator.
Cartoonist Garry Trudeau, the one behind the popular comic strip Doonesbury, created this political satire TV show.
In 2023, so far, Julie White starred in:
- NCIS: Hawai’i(Season 2, Episode 21)
- American Horror Story: Delicate(five episodes), which premiered in September
You read earlier that she loves to cook, right? Well, she participated in two reality TV cooking shows, namely:
- Iron Chef America(2005-2012; 13 episodes)
- Chopped(2017; Season 33, Episode 3)
You can watch Julie White in the following made-for-television films or TV movies:
| The Heidi Chronicles (1995) | Taking Chance (2009) |
| Nathan’s Choice (2001) | Smothered (2011) |
She lent her voice in:
- Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (2009)- she’s Wendy Murphy’s voice
- The Penguins of Madagascar (2012)- she’s the voice of Ma (Season 3, Episode 8)
Aside from a recurring role in Designated Survivor (2019), she also made several appearances in:
- Six Feet Under(4 episodes; 2021-2022)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(5 episodes; 2003-2007)
- Nurse Jackie(Season 6, 10 episodes; 2014)
- Man Seeking Woman(4 episodes; 2017)
- NCIS: Hawai’i- in 2021 (Season 1, Episode 6) and 2022 (Season 1, Episodes 12 and 13)
Per Los Angeles Times, Julie White met Christopher Conner, her second husband, on the set of Six Feet Under. Alan Ball, the creator and producer of this critically acclaimed HBO series, happens to be her friend.
Unless otherwise indicated, Julie White guested once in the following TV series:
A. 1992 to 1999
| TV Series | Year/Season & Episode |
| Law & Order | 1992 (Season 2, Episode 12) |
| Touched by an Angel | 1999 (Season 6, Episode 5) |
B. 2000 to 2009
| TV Series | Year/Season & Episode |
| Jag | 2000 (Season 5, Episode 17) |
| Strong Medicine | 2000 (Season 1, Episode 3) |
| Ally McBeal | 2001 (Season 4, Episode 19) |
| Thieves | 2002 (Season 1, Episode 10) |
| Rescue Me | 2004 (Season 1, Episode 1) |
| Desperate Housewives | 2006 (two episodes) |
C. 2010 to 2015
| TV Series | Year/Season & Episode |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | 2011 (Season 10, Episode 4) |
| Damages | 2011 (Season 4, Episode 1) |
| Wild Card | 2014 (Episode: “The Pilot”) |
| The Good Wife | 2015 (Season 6, Episode 13) |
D. 2016 to 2020
| TV Series | Year/Season & Episode |
| You’re the Worst | 2016 (Season 3, Episode 5) |
| Chicago Med | 2018 (Season 3, Episode 13) |
| Big Mouth | 2019 (two episodes) |
| Mrs. America | 2020 (Season 1, Episode 8) |
E. 2021 to 2022
| TV Series | Year/Season & Episode |
| Roar | 2022 (Season 1, Episode 7) |
| WeCrashed | 2022 (Season 1, Episode 2) |
Julie White Movies
Julie White starred in more than 20 films. She was first cast in Klaus Hoch’s crime movie Flypaper (1999), which also stars a still unknown Lucy Liu.
Here are some of her other movies:
| Say It Isn't So (2001) | Inside Out (2011) |
| The Astronaut Farmer (2006) | Hello, I Must Be Going (2012) |
| Michael Clayton (2007) | Lincoln (2012) |
| Morning (2010) | Life Partners (2014) |
| Our Idiot Brother (2011) | Adult Beginners (2014) |
In the big screen, Julie White was last seen in Sofia Coppola’s musical A Very Murray Christmas (2015).
It features an ensemble cast (George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Chris Rock and many more). Bill Murray co-wrote this film with Coppola.
Julie White Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Julie White’s net worth at $3 million in 2023.
Based on her 2015 interview with writer and critic Joanne Kaufman for The New York Times, the seasoned actressrenovated houses in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, where real estate prices are high.
In her first marriage, Julie White lived in Brooklyn; then in L.A. with her second husband.
Below you can read about her new house in New York, which she acquired after her second divorce.
Real estate is a good investment after all.
House Of Julie White
Julie White currently lives in Cortlandt Manor, a wealthy neighborhood in Westchester County, New York.
In 2014, she bought a house there: a cottage originally built in 1934, according to The New York Times.
It sits on a 3-acre lot overlooking a lake. The house, however, appeared uninviting, with so much repairs to be done after being rented out for 25 years.
In her 2015 interview with the newspaper, when she was 54, Julie White said that she was about to check a farmhouse for sale in Cold Spring, New York.
Her friend, actress Cady Huffman, accompanied her in her house-hunting task. Before going to Cold Spring, she decided to check first the one recommended to her in Cortlandt Manor.
Despite the poor condition of the house, she still purchased it. She told NYT:
“„Houses call to me: ‘Help, I’m beautiful! Help me, help me! I’m covered with vines!’ And with this one, I was like, ‘Wait a minute, this is so cool. I gotta save her.’- Julie White
Julie White also shared an interesting story in relation to renovating the house.
Her friend, Canadian actor and singer Victor Garber, endorsed Anne Bassett, a residential designer he once hired, to her.
Anne turns out to be the wife of actor Steve Bassett.
Now Steve and her friends and fellow actors Lisa Banes (1955-2021) and Harriet Harris all attended The Juilliard School, the prestigious performing arts conservatory in New York.
The wonderful connection pleased her.
Some friends from the industry gave Julie White something to place in her new home. In one of the guestrooms, there’s a Dorothy Draper chest from actress and comedian Amy Sedaris.
American actor and award-winning director Joe Mantello gifted her with a Milo Baughman dining table he chanced upon on eBay.
Interior designer Dorothy Draper (1889-1969) and furniture designer Milo Baughman (1923-2003), were prominent in their respective fields during their time.
In her garden, Julie White planted 500 English bluebells. Also, aside from the six fruit trees she planted in 2015, she added one pear tree and a couple of peach trees.
After all the renovations, her house, as described by NYT, looks like “the setting for a fairy tale.”
Julie White lives there together with her Pomeranian, Lulu.
Julie White - People Also Ask
Is Julie White In ‘Potus’ On Broadway?
In 2022, Julie White appeared in Selina Fillinger’s satire POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.
It premiered in Shubert Theatre in New York City.
She received a Tony nomination for her brilliant performance.
What Sitcoms Did Julie White Play In?
Julie White starred in six sitcoms, the first one of which was in ABC’s Grace Under Fire (1993-1998), which lasted for 5 seasons.
She played the role of the goofy neighbor Nadine Swoboda (1993-1997; 4 seasons).
| Sitcom | Year/Season & Episode |
| Whoopi | 2003 (Season 1, Episode 6) |
| Cavemen | 2007-2008 (7 episodes) |
| Go On | 2012–2013 (22 episodes) |
| Big Mouth | 2019 (2 episodes) |
| How We Roll | 2022 (entire Season 1; 11 Episodes) |
Who Plays Mrs. Witwicky?
Julie White played Judy Witwicky, the mother of Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LaBeouf), in Michael Bay’s Transformersfilm series:
- Transformers (2007)
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Clarification:It’s not true that Julie White earned the infamous Golden Raspberry Award, aka Razzie, nomination for her acting in Revenge of the Fallen.
Per IMDb, the official nominees for the 2009 Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress were:
- Carmen Electra
- Paris Hilton (the winner)
- Kim Kardashian
- Jenny McCarthy
- Leelee Sobieski
Final Thoughts
It looks like Julie White has no plans of stoppingfrom doing what she has been in love with and passionate about since she was a kid: acting.
Well, why would she, anyway? A talent like hers shouldn’t be put to waste.
Based on her 2022 interview with Playbill, the 62-year-old veteran actress will work harder and continue to give her best.
When asked what’s in store for her in the future, she replied:
“„You’re just following down the stream. When people are like, ‘Well, what made you make this career choice, and that career choice?’ I just think the stream makes your career choice sometimes.- Julie White
Then she added:
“„And some things are just luck. You do the best you can with what comes your way.- Julie White
Combining luck and hard work, it seems Julie White will still shine beyond 62.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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