Julie White
White at the2022 Tony Awards
Born	Julie K. White June 4, 1961 (1961-06-04) (age 63)[1] San Diego, California, U.S.
Education	Texas State University Fordham University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	Carl Pandel ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1990)​
Children	1

Julie K. White (born June 4, 1961) is an American actress. She won theTony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance inThe Little Dog Laughed in 2007. She has also received three otherTony Award nominations for her performances inAirline Highway in 2013,Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus in 2019 andPOTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive in 2022. She played Sam Witwicky's mother Judy in theTransformers film series (2007-2011).

She is also known for her television roles, including Nadine Swoboda inChuck Lorre createdABCsitcomGrace Under Fire (1993-1997) as well as Ms. Preecher inAmerican Horror Story (2023-2024). Other notable appearances on television include guest roles onSix Feet Under (2001-2002),Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2003-2007),Desperate Housewives (2006),Nurse Jackie (2014) andThe Good Wife (2015). She has also appeared in such films asMichael Clayton (2007),Lincoln (2012) andA Very Murray Christmas (2015).

White was born in theBalboa Naval Hospital inSan Diego, California, the daughter of Sue Jane (née Terry), a therapist, and Edwin White, a dentist.^[2][3] White and her family moved toAustin, Texas, to take up ranching when she was three years old. She started acting in local plays and became a semi-professional at 16. While she was playing the lead role in the musicalThe Baker's Wife, the show's authors encouraged her to take her talent to New York City.^[4]

After graduating from high school, she attendedSouthwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University) and then attendedFordham University as an English major, although she did not graduate.^[4][5] White married Carl Pandel in 1984; they divorced in 1990.^[6]

White has been a prolific stage actress, getting her start inregional theatre. Some of her regional theater credits includeOn the Verge at the Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 1985–1986,Largo desolato at the Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut, 1990–1991,Marvin's Room at Seattle Repertory Theatre in January 1992,^[7]Absurd Person Singular in 1993 at the Long Wharf Theatre,^[8]Money and Friends byDavid Williamson at the UCLA James A. Doolittle Theatre, Hollywood, California, presented by the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson in January to March 1993.^[9]

White made herOff-Broadway debut inLucky Stiff in 1988 at Playwrights Horizons.^[10][11] She appeared inJust Say No (1988) and in the Off-Broadway WPA Theatre production ofEarly One Evening At the Rainbow Bar and Grille (1989) by Bruce Graham.^[12] She appeared inThe Stick Wife by Darrah Cloud produced by theManhattan Theatre Club at Stage II in 1991.^[13]

She appeared in Michael John LaChiusa'sOver Texas, presented as part of the Ensemble Studio Theater'sMarathon in 1991.^[14]

She appeared at the Off-Broadway Second Stage production of theTheresa Rebeck playSpike Heels withKevin Bacon andTony 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."^[15] White appeared in a one-woman show, Theresa Rebeck'sBad Dates, written especially for her. The play premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in June 2003.^[16][17]

OnBroadway, White appeared inWendy Wasserstein'sPulitzer Prize-winning play,The Heidi Chronicles, as a replacement.^[18] She also appeared in the made-for-television movie ofThe Heidi Chronicles, which aired in 1995.^[19]

In 2006, she appeared Off-Broadway inThe Little Dog Laughed byDouglas Carter Beane, playing Diane, a screen agent, who, as one critic put it, is "a Mephistopheles in Manolos".^[20] The show transferred to Broadway in October 2006 with a new cast, including formerGrace Under Fire costarTom Everett Scott. She won theTony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance.^[21]

White played Nadine, the quirky neighbor onGrace Under Fire. White joined the show when it launched in 1993 and appeared in the first four seasons.^[22] However, she did not appear in the show's final season. Her departure was attributed to conflict with the show's star,Brett Butler.^[23]

White has subsequently made several guest appearances onHBO'sSix Feet Under as Mitzi Dalton-Huntley^[24][25] and onNBC'sLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit as Dr. Anne Morella. White also appeared onDesperate Housewives as Amanda in the Season Two finale but chose to turn down a recurring role when she was offered the role inThe Little Dog Laughed.^[26] She plays Judy Witwicky, mother of the main human character Sam Witwicky, inTransformers and its sequels,Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen andTransformers: Dark of the Moon. White appeared in the ABC sitcomCavemen in 2007.

In 2008, White received aDrama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Actress in a Play for her role in the playFrom Up Here.^[27]

In 2009, she appeared in the HBO original movieTaking Chance starringKevin Bacon.^[28] She also lent her voice to the 2009 animated filmMonsters vs. Aliens.^[29]

White has served several times as a guest judge on the reality TV seriesIron Chef America.^[30] White stepped into the role of Masha, originated by Sigourney Weaver, in Christopher Durang's playVanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, on Broadway, from July 28 to August 25, 2013, at theGolden Theatre.^[31]

In 2013, White was a series regular on Amazon'sAlpha House, a political comedy series written byDoonesbury creatorGarry Trudeau.^[32] White plays Maddie Biggs, the wife of North Carolina Senator Gil John Biggs, played byJohn 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 theShowtime television dramaNurse Jackie for its sixth season.^[33]

She appeared on Broadway at theSamuel J. Friedman Theatre in theManhattan Theatre Club production of theLisa D'Amour playAirline Highway in April 2015 to June 2015.^[34] White was nominated for the 2015Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play and the 2015 Tony Award, Featured Actress in a Play.^[35] Later in 2015, she played Kate oppositeMatthew Broderick andAnnaleigh Ashford inSylvia at theCort Theatre.^[36]

In July 2017, White took over the role of Nora inA Doll's House, Part 2 at theJohn Golden Theatre on Broadway, succeedingLaurie Metcalf.^[37]

In 2018, White was cast in a recurring role in the third season ofNetflix'sDesignated Survivor as Lorraine Zimmer.^[38]

In 2019, White joined the cast ofGary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus at theBooth 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.^[39] 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 sitcomHow We Roll.^[40]

Sources:^[41][42]

Source:^[42]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toJulie White.

• Julie White at theInternet Broadway Database
• Julie White at theInternet Off-Broadway Database
• Julie White atIMDb
• BroadwayWorld Article: "Julie White to Star in 'From Up Here' at MTC"

• Living people
• American film actresses
• American stage actresses
• American television actresses
• American voice actresses
• Fordham University alumni
• Actresses from Austin, Texas
• Actresses from San Diego
• Tony Award winners
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• 1961 births

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• Internet Off-Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata