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Born in North London in 1976, both Julie and her twin sister Clare knew from a very
early age that they both wanted to become actresses, often putting on their own
plays for family and friends. As such their understanding mother soon found them
an agent to represented them, which led to modeling work as well as appearing in
local productions and TV commercials. However Julie’s firstwork of prominence was
as Young Eponine in Les Miserables.
As children growing up in Borehamwood, both Julie and Clare would often see the
cast of Grange Hill go to and from the studios nearby, little knowing that soon they
would be both appearing in the series. Initially Julie auditioned for the role of
Chrissie Mannering while Clare auditioned for the role of Natalie Stevens, however it
was Julie who was later recalled to audition for that part. Clare though was later to
join the series playing Natalie’s estranged sister Natasha two years later.
Because of the disruption to their schoolwork while filming Grange Hill the sisters
were sent to the renown Sylvia Young Theatre School where they trained along such
future stars as Emma Bunton, Nicole and Natalie Appleton, Denise van Outen,
Samantha Janus and John and Nick Pickard.
Upon leaving Grange Hill both Julie and Clare found themselves in competition for
the recasting of the role of Jenny Porter in 2point4 children which this time Clare won. Although they often
found themselves competing for roles Julie and Clare don’t mind if one of them gets the role, though they have sometimes found casting directors turning them down for roles since they did not want to upset one of them by giving the role to the other.
After appearing in a few guest roles on TV shows such as The Bill, London’s Burning, Pie in the Sky and Expert Witness, Julie won the role of Julie Matthews in the teen soap Hollyoaks created by Phil Redmond who also created Grange Hill and Brookside. Here she was reunited with form Sylvia Young classmate Nick Pickard playing his love interest. Julie later recalled her audition for Hollyoaks by saying her agent told her Hollyoaks was going to be a Baywatch of the North of England. This prompted Julie to arrive at the audition in a pair of hot pants and a T-Shirt only to be told that her role was that of a schoolgirl prompting a quick change of clothes. And although Julie left in dramatic style in 1997, she returned in 2002 with her character transformed into a scheming bitch, a role Julie relished playing and in 2007 made a guest appearance.
After leaving Hollyoaks, Julie turned her hand to co-presenting as Disney Club Summer Special with Dave Benson Phillips, as well as creating the role of Cherry Cola in Rip van Winkle and the Fizziness Business which premiered at the Lawrence Batley Theatre. Since 1997 though Julie has mainly concentrated on a stage career, making few TV appearances in the UK, however in 2003 Julie traveled to Italy to make the English version of Extr@, a language programme designed to teach English as a second language and sold globally.
Amongst the stage plays she has appeared in are Bad Blood, Caught in the Net, The Ghost Train and Passport to Pimlico in which she had lucky escape while performing in Stevenage. As she and Ian Lavender were on stage a bar from which props hung hit a flower box which crashed to the stage narrowly missing Julie. After a brief pause and a light hearted comment for Ian, Julie went on to give a flawless performance. In her latest play though Julie added a new ability to her CV in the shape of Pole Dancing whilst touring in The Naked Truth to much acclaim for her performance of Tricia, a vain, tactless woman with a perfect lifestyle and a body to die for. The sort of woman that women love to hate.
For the past decade, Julie has built up a reputation for being one of the countries leading actresses playing the Principal Boy role in pantomime, having played Peter Pan an incredible 5 times to much praise for her dynamic interpretation of J. M. Barrie’s immortal hero. It was while playing Peter Pan for the first time in Mansfield that Julie came face to face with a little girl who climbed up on stage calling, “Peter, Peter” as Julie was about to sing her solo number. On seeing the audience though the girl began to cry, prompting Julie to pick her up and sing to her.
In the past 4 years though Julie has become the resident panto star in the Cambridge Arts Theatres pantomime productions, and shall be returning to reprise her first role of Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk this year. In addition Julie last year got to swap genders playing Cinderella to record audiences for the Cambridge Arts Theatre. It was while appearing in Aladdin that Julie lived up to the phrase “ the show must go on” as despite being struck down with a stomach virus she continued performing not missing a cue. It was only at the end when Michael Fenton Stevens who was playing Widow Twanky asked the audience to give Julie an extra round of applause did anyone in the audience know she was feeling unwell.
Although having separate careers from one another, Julie finally got to act alongside Clare in Holby City in 2006 playing twin sisters in need of heart transplants, however Clare got to play the nice twin, while Julie’s character was bitter about missing out on her proposed transplant. This was a role reversal on their previous characters in Grange Hill when Julie was the nice twin and Clare the nasty one.
Julie and Clare are both very close to one another, often describing their relationship as best friends as much as sisters. However their closeness has cause some unusual occurrences for them both. Often they would go out separately and come back home with the same items, and even on occasion sensing one another’s thoughts. Once at school they were accused of cheating on an essay about a dragon called George despite being at opposite sides of the class room because their stories were nearly identical. Another happened while Clare was touring in Summer Holiday the Musical where Julie awoke one night to answer her mobile phone which was switched to silent, and without asking who it was started asking her sister what was wrong, only to find Clare was being admitted to hospital with Appendicitis.
Although identical twins - and often confused with one another - both Julie and Clare have altered their appearances since appearing in Grange Hill, usually by adopting different hair styles with Julie on occasion becoming brunette if the role she was playing required it as in her first appearance in Hollyoaks and in Extr@, while Clare on the other hand has often adopted a shorter hair style such as when she appeared in 2point4 children.
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