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Julie Brown

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Not to be confused with Downtown Julie Brown.
For other people named Julie Brown, see Julie Brown (disambiguation).
Julie Brown
Brown in 2012
Born
Julie Ann Brown

(1958-08-31) August 31, 1958 (age 66)
Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • comedian
  • writer
  • singer-songwriter
  • television director
Years active1980–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1983; div. 1989)​
Ken Rethen
​
​
(m. 1993; div. 2007)​
Children1

Julie Ann Brown (born August 31, 1958[1]) is an American actress, comedian, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, and television director.[2] Brown is known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl character. Much of her comedy has revolved around the mocking of famous people (with a strong and frequently revisited focus on Madonna).

Early life

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Julie Brown was born in Van Nuys, California, the daughter of Irish-Catholic parents Celia Jane (née McCann) and Leonard Francis Brown.[3][4] Her father worked at NBC TV studios in the traffic department (advertising scheduling), and her mother was a secretary at the same studio complex.[5] Both of Brown's grandfathers had worked in the Hollywood film business.[4] Her great-grandfather was character actor Frank O'Connor.[3] She attended a Catholic elementary school as a child, and later Van Nuys High School where she was chosen princess of the homecoming court. Brown's parents said "whatever you do, don't become an actress", but after attending Los Angeles Valley College she enrolled in the well-known San Francisco acting school, American Conservatory Theater, where she met future collaborator Charlie Coffey.[6]

Career

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Julie Brown began her career performing in nightclubs.[7] She was a contestant on the game show Whew! (as Annie Brown).[8] She started working on television with a guest spot on the sitcom Happy Days. She also appeared in the 1981 cult film Bloody Birthday. After a small role in the Clint Eastwood comedy film Any Which Way You Can, comedian Lily Tomlin saw Brown at a comedy club and gave her her first big break, a part in her 1981 film The Incredible Shrinking Woman.[7] Tomlin and Brown eventually became close friends. A string of guest starring appearances in a variety of television shows followed, including: Laverne & Shirley, Buffalo Bill, The Jeffersons and Newhart. Brown also appeared in short films such as "Five Minutes, Miss Brown".[9]

In 1984, she released her first EP, a five-song album called Goddess in Progress.[10] The album, parodies of popular '80s music combined with her valley girl personality, was quickly discovered by the Dr. Demento Show. The songs "'Cause I'm a Blonde" and "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" were given radio airplay across the world.[11] The latter was a spoof on stereotypical 1950s' teen tragedy songs, with cheerleaders' heads and pompoms being blown to pieces.

In 1987, Brown released her first full-length album, Trapped in the Body of a White Girl.[12] The album highlighted her comedic talent and valley girl personality. The album's highlights were "I Like 'em Big and Stupid" and she reprised "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" (the album was reissued on CD in 2010 by Collector's Choice Music on its Noble Rot label).[13] Music videos were recorded and received heavy airplay on MTV. In 1989, Brown starred in that cable network's comedy and music-video show Just Say Julie.[10] She played the role of a demanding, controlling, and pessimistic glamour-puss from the valley, making fun of popular music acts, while at the same time introducing their music videos (she was also known as "Miss Julie Brown" at the time to differentiate her from Downtown Julie Brown, who was on the network at the same time).

Brown's film career began in 1988 with the release of the film Earth Girls Are Easy, written, produced by, and featuring Brown,[14] it was based loosely on a song by the same name from her debut EP. The film also starred Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. Brown cast then-unknown comedians Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans. In 1990 Brown had a brief part in the film The Spirit of '76, as an intellectual stripper.

Brown performing in 2008 at The Public Theater in New York City

NBC commissioned a half-hour pilot, ultimately unsold and airing Sunday, July 28, 1991, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time, titled The Julie Show. Created by Brown, Charlie Coffey, and director and executive producer David Mirkin, it was a comedy about actress Julie Robbins (Brown), who in this initial story, goes to great lengths to land an interview with teen singer Kiki (played by Kim Walker) in the hopes of getting hired as a tabloid-TV celebrity journalist. Developed under the working title The Julie Brown Show, it also starred Marian Mercer as Julie's mother, June; DeLane Matthews as Debra Deacon, a reporter on the fictional series Inside Scoop; Susan Messing as Julie's roommate Cheryl; and Kevin O'Rourke as Inside Scoop producer Tony Barnow. Brown was also a producer, with John Ziffren, and performed and co-wrote the theme song. Walker, Don Sparks, Robin Angers, and Deborah Driggs were guest performers in this production from Mirkinvision and New World Television.[15]

Another pilot was filmed for CBS in 1989 called, Julie Brown: The Show, and featured a similar theme, in which Brown was the hostess of a talk show and she would interview actual celebrity guests, interspersed with scripted scenarios. The pilot was aired, but the show was not picked up; years later, it leaked onto the Internet.

In 1992, Brown starred in her own Fox sketch comedy show, The Edge; two of its regulars, Jennifer Aniston and Wayne Knight, later became sitcom stars, while Tom Kenny went on to voice SpongeBob SquarePants. That same year, she released the Showtime television film Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful, a satire about Madonna and her backstage documentary, Truth or Dare.

Brown followed with another satire, Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 In. Women, which lampooned the violence of ice skater Tonya Harding toward rival Nancy Kerrigan, as well as that of widely publicized castrator Lorena Bobbitt.[16]

She has continued to make television guest appearances and contributed voices to various cartoons, including Animaniacs (as the voice of Minerva Mink), Aladdin as bratty mermaid Saleen, and as the original voice of Zatanna in the Batman: The Animated Series cartoon. Prior to this, she also guest starred on a Tiny Toon Adventures episode as Julie Bruin, a cartoon bear version of herself, in which she guest-starred in her own segment Just Say Julie Bruin, a reference to her music video show. The Just Say Julie Bruin cartoon also was a music video show and in her segment Elmer Fudd guest-starred as Fuddonna, a parody of Madonna and a reference to Julie Brown herself regularly mocking her.

Brown appeared as Coach Millie Stoeger in the film Clueless, reprising that role on ABC's 1996–1999 spin-off TV series, for which she was also a writer, producer and director. Two regulars from the series, Donald Faison and Elisa Donovan, later found similarly successful roles, as would featured player Christina Milian who had a recurring role on the series during its UPN years. In 1998, Brown appeared in the parody film Plump Fiction. In 2000, she created the series Strip Mall for the Comedy Central network; it ran two seasons.

Since 2004, Brown has been a commentator on E! network specials, including 101 Reasons the '90s Ruled, 101 Most Starlicious Makeovers, 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment, and 50 Most Outrageous TV Moments.

In 2005, Brown purchased the rights to her Trapped album back from the record label and reissued it herself.[citation needed] She also self-released a single, "I Want to Be Gay". In late 2007, she also purchased the rights to her 1984 E.P. Goddess in Progress and re-released it as a full-length record with compiled unreleased tracks recorded during that era.[citation needed] Brown began touring in late 2007 with her one-woman show, Smell the Glamour.[citation needed]

In 2008, she co-wrote and appeared as Dee La Duke in the Disney Channel film Camp Rock, which starred Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. Brown also joined the cast of the Canadian television series Paradise Falls that same year.

In late 2008 Brown began releasing one-track digital singles, starting with "The Ex-Beauty Queen's Got a Gun"; it was a rewrite of "Homecoming Queen" with lyrics about Sarah Palin. This was first aired in September, 2008 on The Stephanie Miller Show. In 2011 she released an album called Smell The Glamour, which features satires of Lady Gaga, Kesha and updated versions of her Medusa songs.

In the 2010–2011 television season, Brown began a recurring role as Paula Norwood, a neighbor and friend of the Heck family, on the ABC comedy The Middle. From 2010 to 2015 she was a writer for Melissa & Joey, and played a gym teacher in one episode of the show. In 2012 she appeared with Downtown Julie Brown as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race.

In 2023, amid the announcement of The Celebration Tour, in which Madonna recreated a video inspired by her film Truth or Dare, Brown reprised her Medusa character parodying the announcement video in her social media.[17]

Personal life

[edit]

In 1983, Brown married writer and actor Terrence E. McNally, another frequent collaborator. They co-produced her first single, "I Like 'Em Big and Stupid". They divorced after six years. In 1994, Brown married Ken Rathjen, and together they have one son. She said in 2007 that she had recently divorced for the second time.[18]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1980 Any Which Way You Can Candy
1981 The Incredible Shrinking Woman TV Commercial Actress
Bloody Birthday Beverly Brody
1984 Dark Seduction Tammy
1985 Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment Chloe
1988 Earth Girls Are Easy Candy Pink
1990 The Spirit of '76 Ms. Liberty
1991 Timebomb Waitress at Al's Diner Uncredited
Shakes the Clown Judy
1992 Nervous Ticks Nancy Rudman
The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them Zoe
1995 A Goofy Movie Lisa Voice[19]
Clueless Ms. Stoeger
Out There Joleen McGillicuddy
1997 Plump Fiction Mimi Hungry
1999 Wakko's Wish Minerva Mink Voice, direct-to-video[19]
2000 Daybreak Connie Spheres
2002 The Trip Receptionist
Like Mike New Age Mother
2006 Fat Rose and Squeaky Squeaky
2007 Boxboarders! Anny Neptune
2015 Mothers of the Bride Peg
2016 Christmas with the Andersons Aunt Katie

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1980 Happy Days Suzy Simmonds Episode: "Ah! Wilderness"
1982 Laverne & Shirley Secretary, Patti 2 episodes
1983 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Barbie Episode: "If Thoughts Could Kill"
The Jeffersons Cherry Episode: "Who's the Fairist"
We Got It Made Didi West Episode: "Sexiest Bachelor"
1985–88 Yogi's Treasure Hunt Coinnie Kindly Voice, episode: "Yogi Bear on the Air"
1986–88 Newhart Buffy Denver 2 episodes
1990 Quantum Leap Bunny O'Hare/Thelma Lou Dickey Episode: "Maybe Baby (March 11, 1963)"
Get a Life Connie Bristol Episode: "Terror on the Hell Loop 2000"
Monsters Wendy Episode: "Small Blessings"
1991 Tiny Toon Adventures Julie Bruin Voice, episode: "Tiny Toon Music Television"[19]
1992–93 Batman: The Animated Series Lily, Zatanna Voice, 2 episodes[19]
The Edge Various Main role; 19 episodes
1993 The Addams Family Camp Counselor Voice, episode: "Camp Addams"
1994–95 Aladdin Saleen Voice, 2 episodes
1995 Band of Gold Liz 2 episodes
1996 Tracey Takes On... Mrs. Lynn Heiner Episode: "Family"
Quack Pack Nelly the dragon Voice, episode: "Leader of the Quack"
1993–97 Animaniacs Minerva Mink Voice, 6 episodes[19]
1997 Murphy Brown Secretary #88 Episode: "From the Terrace"
1998 Pinky and the Brain Danette Spoonabello, Minerva Mink Voice, 2 episodes[19]
1999 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Lottie Bologna Voice, episode: "The Three Little Pigs"
1996–99 Clueless Coach Millie Deimer 15 episodes
1999–00 The New Woody Woodpecker Show Judge, Customer Voice, 4 episodes
2000–01 Strip Mall Tammi Tyler Main role; 22 episodes
2000 The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Veterinarian #2 Voice, episode: "Dial V for Veterinarian"[19]
2001 Oh Yeah! Cartoons Mom Voice, episode: "Elise: Mere Mortal"[19]
2002 Family Affair Ms. Felicity Robbins Episode: "No Small Parts"
2005 Six Feet Under Sissy Pasquese Episode: "Time Flies"
2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Connie Dellaquilla Episode: "Bull"
Paradise Falls Mimi Van Lux 5 episodes
Wizards of Waverly Place Miss Anna Marinovich Episode: "Art Museum Piece"
2011 Big Time Rush Rona Episode: "Big Time Contest"
2012 Melissa & Joey Coach Dalman Episode: "Mother of All Problems"
2010–17 The Middle Paula Norwood 13 episodes
2014 From Here on OUT Gina Episode: "The OUT Cover-(Up)"
TMI Hollywood Various Episode: "Getting Down with Brown"
2019 Spirit Riding Free Mrs. Dawn Hungerford Voice[19]

Television film

[edit]
Title Year Role Notes
Jane Doe 1983 Reporter
Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue 1992 Rhona
Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 In. Women 1994 Tonya Hardly/Lenora Babbitt
Out There 1995 Joleen
Alien Avengers II 1998 Rhonda
Camp Rock 2008 Dee La Duke Disney Channel Original Movie
The Wish List 2010 Wedding Planner
My Santa 2013 Susie
Gusty Frog 2013 Frankie's Mom

Other work

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Title Year Notes
Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights 1980 Writer; television special
Earth Girls are Easy 1988 Writer
Just Say Julie 1989 Writer; co-producer
Quantum Leap 1990 Writer — "Maybe Baby (March 11, 1963)"
The Julie Show 1991 Creator; writer; producer
Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful 1992 Director; writer; executive producer
The Edge 1992–93 Writer — 20 episodes; producer — 20 episodes
Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 In. Women 1994 Director; writer
Rude Awakening 1998 Writer — "An Embarrassment of Ritch's"
Clueless 1996–99 Director — 1 episode; writer — 8 episodes; producer — 24 episodes; co-producer — 36 episodes
Strip Mall 2000 Executive producer
The Big House 2004 Writer — episode: "A Friend in Need"; consulting producer
Camp Rock 2008 Writer
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam 2010 Based on characters
Melissa & Joey 2011 Writer — episode: "Do As I Say, Not As I Did"
Gusty Frog 2013 Writer; television film

Discography

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Singles

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References

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Wikiquote has quotations related to Julie Brown.
  1. ^ David Jeffries. "Julie Brown". AllMusic. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  2. ^ "Julie Brown". Discogs. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  3. ^ a b "Telling Tales". Variety. Vol. 48. 1985. pp. 193–194.
  4. ^ a b "Just Say Lampoon : Julie Brown's cult-like comedy spares no one". Los Angeles Times. Nov 15, 1992. Retrieved Sep 20, 2019.
  5. ^ "Leonard Brown Obituary - Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved Sep 20, 2019.
  6. ^ "Val Gal Get Your Gun—Julie Brown Blasts Her Way Onto MTV". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved Sep 20, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Julie Brown". The Improv. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18.
  8. ^ Whew - Game Show - Annie & John on YouTube
  9. ^ Five Minutes, Miss Brown on YouTube
  10. ^ a b "Valley Girl Is Only One Shade of Julie Brown". The Los Angeles Times. February 8, 1990.
  11. ^ Bronson, Harold (October 2013). The Rhino Records Story: Revenge of the Music Nerds. SelectBooks, Inc. ISBN 978-1-59079-135-6.
  12. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Trapped in the Body of a White Girl Vol. 28 No. 18". People. November 2, 1987.
  13. ^ "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" on YouTube
  14. ^ James, Caryn (May 12, 1989). "Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) Review/Film; On Shaving, Furry Aliens Turn Into Valley Guys". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Lovece, Frank. The Television Yearbook 1990-91 (Perigee Books / Putnam Publishing, 1991), p. 267
  16. ^ Brown, Julie; Wenk, Richard (1994-08-21), Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 Women, retrieved 2016-10-11
  17. ^ @missjuliebrown (3 March 2023). "Medusa is BACK… and she's joined TikToks! At least that's what she keeps calling it 😉" – via Instagram.
  18. ^ Balls Out Ball Raises Big Butts Bucks for Rugby Club on YouTube
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Julie Brown (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 2, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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