Julie K. White (born June 4, 1961) is an American actress. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed in 2007. She has also received three other Tony Award nominations for her performances in Airline Highway in 2013, in 2019 and in 2022. She played Sam Witwicky's mother Judy in the first of the Transformers film series (2007–2011).
She is also known for her television roles, including Nadine Swoboda in Chuck Lorre created ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire (1993–1997) as well as Ms. Preecher in American Horror Story (2023–2024). Other notable appearances on television include guest roles on Six Feet Under (2001–2002), (2003-2007), Desperate Housewives (2006), Nurse Jackie (2014) and The Good Wife (2015). She has also appeared in such films as Michael Clayton (2007), Lincoln (2012) and A Very Murray Christmas (2015).
After graduating from high school, she attended Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University) and then attended Fordham University as an English major, although she did not graduate.Gates, Anita. "Julie White, Killer Agent, in The Little Dog Laughed" The New York Times, January 20, 2006 "Lincoln Center Alumna Snares Tony Award" fordham.edu, accessed May 29, 2015 White married Carl Pandel in 1984; they divorced in 1990.Clark, Brooks. "Making a Big Splash" People, March 27, 1995
White made her Off-Broadway debut in Lucky Stiff in 1988 at Playwrights Horizons.Rich, Frank. "Review/Theater; 'Lucky Stiff,' a Musical From a Crime Novel" The New York Times, April 27, 1988 Lucky Stiff playwrightshorizons.org, accessed May 30, 2015 She appeared in Just Say No (1988) and in the Off-Broadway WPA Theatre production of Early One Evening At the Rainbow Bar and Grille (1989) by Bruce Graham. Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar and Grille lortel.org, accessed May 30, 2015 She appeared in The Stick Wife by Darrah Cloud produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club at Stage II in 1991.Rich, Frank. "Review/Theater; Lindsay Crouse as the Wife of a Klansman" The New York Times, May 10, 1991
She appeared in Michael John LaChiusa's Over Texas, presented as part of the Ensemble Studio Theater's Marathon in 1991.Gussow, Mel. "Review/Theater; Several Slices of Life In Festival of One-Acts" The New York Times, June 9, 1991
She appeared at the Off-Broadway Second Stage production of the Theresa Rebeck play Spike Heels with Kevin Bacon and Tony Goldwyn in 1992. Frank Rich wrote: "Julie White makes a far more vivid impression. Rail-thin but with a broad face and features, this actress has an off-center style and piquant wit that make her a natural for high comedy of this or any other period."Rich, Frank. "Review/Theater; Reversing the Stereotypes in the War of the Sexes" The New York Times, June 5, 1992 White appeared in a one-woman show, Theresa Rebeck's Bad Dates, written especially for her. The play premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in June 2003.Jones, Kenneth. "Julie White Goes on Some 'Bad Dates' June 3-29 at Playwrights Horizons; Hickey Directs" playbill.com, June 3, 2003 "A Date With Theresa Rebeck" tcg.org, accessed May 29, 2015
On Broadway theatre, White appeared in Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Heidi Chronicles, as a replacement. "Julie White Credits" playbillvault.com, accessed May 29, 2015 She also appeared in the made-for-television movie of The Heidi Chronicles, which aired in 1995.Leonard, John. "Defining Women" New York Magazine, October 16, 1995
In 2006, she appeared Off-Broadway in The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane, playing Diane, a screen agent, who, as one critic put it, is "a Mephistopheles in Manolos".Brantley, Ben. "The Stage Is Bigger, But It Still Can’t Hold All Her Ambition", The New York Times, November 14, 2006. The show transferred to Broadway in October 2006 with a new cast, including former Grace Under Fire costar Tom Everett Scott. She won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance. " The Little Dog Laughed Cast, Productiona and Awards" , playbillvault.com, accessed May 29, 2015
White played Nadine, the quirky neighbor on Grace Under Fire. White joined the show when it launched in 1993 and appeared in the first four seasons. " 'Grace Under Fire' Cast-Crew" allmovie.com, retrieved december 31, 2017 However, she did not appear in the show's final season. Her departure was attributed to conflict with the show's star, Brett Butler. Grace Under Fire – A Television Heaven Review
White has subsequently made several guest appearances on HBO's Six Feet Under as Mitzi Dalton-Huntley " 'Six Feet Under', Season 2, 2002" rottentomatoes.com, retrieved December 31, 2017 "'Six Feet Under,' episodes 9-13" ew.com, March 6, 2003 and on NBC's as Dr. Anne Morella. White also appeared on Desperate Housewives as Amanda in the Season Two finale but chose to turn down a recurring role when she was offered the role in The Little Dog Laughed. Julie White, Q&A Interview Broadway.com She plays Judy Witwicky, mother of the main human character Sam Witwicky, in Transformers and its sequels, and . White appeared in the ABC sitcom Cavemen in 2007.
In 2008, White received a Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Actress in a Play for her role in the play From Up Here.Gans, Andrew. "Drama Desk Nominees Announced; Catered Affair Garners 12 Noms" playbill.com, April 28, 2008
In 2009, she appeared in the HBO original movie Taking Chance starring Kevin Bacon. Taking Chance rottentomatoes.com, retrieved December 31, 2017 She also lent her voice to the 2009 animated film Monsters vs. Aliens. Monsters vs. Aliens rottentomatoes.com, retrieved December 31, 2017
White has served several times as a guest judge on the reality TV series Iron Chef America.Vincentelli, Elizabeth. "Zakarian vs. Schenker (Episode: IA1011H)" foodnetwork.com, accessed May 29, 2015 White stepped into the role of Masha, originated by Sigourney Weaver, in Christopher Durang's play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, on Broadway, from July 28 to August 25, 2013, at the Golden Theatre. "Comic Dynamo Julie White Steps into Broadway Hit 'Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike' " New York Post, July 29, 2013
In 2013, White was a series regular on Amazon's Alpha House, a political comedy series written by Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau. White plays Maddie Biggs, the wife of North Carolina Senator Gil John Biggs, played by John Goodman. White will also appear in the show's second season, which is filming over the summer of 2014.
In 2014 she joined the cast of the Showtime television drama Nurse Jackie for its sixth season.Gans, Andrew. "Tony Winner Julie White Lands Recurring Role in Showtime's 'Nurse Jackie' " playbill.com, October 3, 2013
She appeared on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of the Lisa D'Amour play Airline Highway in April 2015 to June 2015.Lloyd Webber, Imogen. " Airline Highway, Featuring 2015 Tony Nominees Julie White & K. Todd Freeman, Will Close Slightly Early on Broadway" broadway.com, May 12, 2015 White was nominated for the 2015 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play and the 2015 Tony Award, Featured Actress in a Play. Airline Highway playbillvault.com, accessed May 30, 2015 Later in 2015, she played Kate opposite Matthew Broderick and Annaleigh Ashford in Sylvia at the Cort Theatre. "Matthew Broderick, Annaleigh Ashford, and Julie White's Newest Performance", Leonard Lopate Show, WNYC-FM, November 20, 2015
In July 2017, White took over the role of Nora in A Doll's House, Part 2 at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway, succeeding Laurie Metcalf.McPhee, Ryan. "Tony Winner Julie White and Stephen McKinley Henderson Take Center Stage in A Doll's House, Part 2" Playbill, July 25, 2017
In 2018, White was cast in a recurring role in the third season of Netflix's Designated Survivor as Lorraine Zimmer.
In 2019, White joined the cast of at the Booth Theatre on Broadway. An unexpected injury had forced Andrea Martin, the original star, to not be able to continue the show. Kristine Nielsen took over Martin's role, and White took over Nielsen's role, with only a few extra days for rehearsal.McPhee, Ryan. "Julie White Joins Broadway's 'Gary' as Andrea Martin Withdraws; First Performance Delayed" Playbill, March 4, 2019 Both women were rewarded with Tony Award nominations for Featured Actress in a Play for their performances.
In 2022, White was cast in the role of Helen Smallwood on the CBS sitcom How We Roll.
1999 | Flypaper | Cindy | |
2001 | Say It Isn't So | Ruthie Falwell | |
2002 | Slap Her... She's French | Bootsie Grady | |
2004 | Sunday on the Rocks | Elly | |
2006 | Beth Goode | ||
2007 | Transformers | Judy Witwicky | |
Jane Gould | |||
Michael Clayton | Mrs. Greer | ||
2009 | Breaking Upwards | Joanie | |
Monsters vs. Aliens | Wendy Murphy (voice) | ||
Judy Witwicky | Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress | ||
2010 | Morning | Mary | |
Melissa | Short film | ||
2011 | Our Idiot Brother | Lorraine | |
Judy Witwicky | |||
Inside Out | Martha | ||
Night of the Living Carrots | Wendy Murphy (voice) | Short film | |
Language of a Broken Heart | Mimi | ||
2012 | Hello I Must Be Going | Gwen | |
Lincoln | Elizabeth Blair Lee | ||
2014 | Life Partners | Deborah | |
Adult Beginners | Shirley | ||
2015 | Bev |
1992 | Law & Order | Sandy | Episode: "Star Struck" |
1993–1997 | Grace Under Fire | Nadine Swoboda | 94 episodes |
1995 | Fran | Television movie | |
1999 | Touched by an Angel | Molly Avery | Episode: "Til Death Do Us Part" |
2000 | JAG | Det. Wanda Schilling | Episode: "People v. Gunny" |
2000 | Strong Medicine | Caitlin Crawford | Episode: "Misconceptions" |
2001 | Ally McBeal | Marian | Episode: "In Search of Barry White" |
2001 | Nathan's Choice | Marcia | Television movie |
2001–2002 | Six Feet Under | Mitzi Dalton Huntley | 4 episodes |
2002 | Thieves | Barb Lieser | Episode: "Home Is Where the Heist Is" |
2003 | Whoopi | Press Secretary | Episode: "The Vast Ring Wing Conspiracy" |
2003–2007 | Dr. Anne Morella | 5 episodes | |
2004 | Rescue Me | Dr. Goldberg | Episode: "Guts" |
2005–2012 | Iron Chef America | Herself | 13 episodes |
2006 | Desperate Housewives | Amanda | 2 episodes |
2007–2008 | Cavemen | Leslie McKinney | 7 episodes |
2009 | Taking Chance | Col. Karen Bell | Television movie |
Wendy Murphy (voice) | Television special | ||
2010 | Funny in Farsi | Candace Smiley | Unsold TV pilot |
2011 | Stephanie Miller | Episode: "The Last Street in Manhattan" | |
Damages | Congresswoman Donna Chase | Episode: "There's Only One Way to Try a Case" | |
Smothered | Patty | Television movie | |
2012 | Ma (voice) | Episode: "Smotherly Love/Littlefoot" | |
2012–2013 | Go On | Anne | 22 episodes |
2013 | White | Episode: "1.37" | |
2013–2014 | Alpha HouseGoldberg, Leslie. "Cynthia Nixon, Amy Sedaris Among 'Alpha House' Guest Cast" Hollywood Reporter, September 19, 2013 | Maddie Biggs | 20 episodes |
2014 | Save the Date "2014 CBS Pilots" deadline.com, retrieved December 31, 2017 | Connie | pilot for ABC/CBS |
Nurse JackieSnetiker, Marc. "Julie White Joins the Cast of 'Nurse Jackie' in Major Recurring Role" broadway.com, October 3, 2013 | Antoinette Mills | 10 episodes | |
Wild Card | Judge Hockett | Episode: "The Pilot" | |
2015 | Selma Krause | Episode: "Dark Money" | |
2016 | You're the Worst | Dr. Tabitha Higgins | Episode: "Twenty-Two" |
Real Good PeoplePetski, Denise. "Julie White Joins ‘Real Good People’ CBS Pilot; Melissa Tang In Fox’s ‘Zoobiquity’" deadline.com, March 16, 2016 | Gloria | pilot for CBS | |
PearlGoldberg, Lesley. "TV Pilots 2016: The Complete Guide to What Lives, Dies and Still Has a Pulse" Hollywood Reporter, May 12, 2016 | Joy | pilot (ABC) | |
2017 | Man Seeking Woman | Lucy's Mom | 4 episodes |
Chopped | Herself | Episode: "Star Power: The Last Laugh!" | |
2018 | Chicago Med | Tessa | Episode: "Best Laid Plans" |
2019 | Designated Survivor | Lorraine Zimmer | Recurring role |
Big Mouth | Kimberly | 2 episodes | |
2020 | Mrs. America | Bar Woman | Episode: "Houston" |
2021-2024 | Maggie Shaw | Recurring role, 7 episodes | |
2022 | How We Roll | Helen Smallwood | Main role |
Roar | Barbara | Episode: "The Woman Who Returned Her Husband" | |
WeCrashed | Monica | Episode: "Masha Masha Masha" | |
2023 | Ms. Mavis Preecher | Main Role |
1989 | The Heidi Chronicles | Debbie / Jill / Lisa (Replacement) | Plymouth Theatre, Broadway |
2006 | The Little Dog Laughed | Diane | Second Stage Theater, Off-Broadway Cort Theatre, Broadway |
2008 | From Up Here | Grace | New York City Center, Off-Broadway |
2013 | Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike | Masha (Replacement) | John Golden Theatre, Broadway |
2015 | Airline Highway | Tanya | Samuel J. Friedman, Broadway |
Sylvia | Kate | Cort Theatre, Broadway | |
2017 | A Doll's House, Part 2 | Nora (Replacement) | John Golden Theatre, Broadway |
2019 | Carol | Booth Theatre, Broadway | |
2022 | Harriet | Shubert Theatre, Broadway | |
2006 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Play | The Little Dog Laughed | |
Obie Award | Distinguished Performance | |||
2007 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Play | ||
2008 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Play | From Up Here | |
Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | |||
2015 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Airline Highway | |
Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | |||
Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | |||
2019 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Play | ||
Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | |||
2022 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Play | ||
Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance |
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