"Queen of the B Movies"......but that is only part of the Julie Strain story. This six foot, one inch, statuesque actress is a one-woman industry. Julie Strain reinvented herself at the age of 28 and has since been merchandised on everything from a Zippo lighter to an interactive CD-ROM...and it is all carefully orchestrated and planned, originally by Julie, but now by Julie in tandem with her husband, publisher, producer and co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Eastman.
Together, they have positioned Julie as the "Queen of All Media".
She is a genuine cult heroine. Her series of action/adventure and fantasy movies have earned her a fan base that many mainstream stars envy.
Julie has been featured on television, in music videos and laser disc. She is a star attraction of calendars, posters and greeting cards. In the "Strain-mania" merchandise world, she can be found on coffee mugs, dolls, watches and countless trading cards.
She retains a major appeal for art directors and editors of magazines who want the Strain face and form for covers and layouts in everything from Penthouse to Femme Fatales, from Vogue to Cosmopolitan, from Natural Body Building to American Rodder. Julie has even co-teached a fine art and photography class at U.C.L.A., and has starred in Playboy TV’s “Sex Court” as Judge Julie.
All in all, an impressive career for a woman who had to sleep in her truck when she first arrived in Hollywood and who admits to being a "painfully thin ugly duckling" in high school. How did it happen? "I chose to shoot for Penthouse and with the seed money and the "Pet of the Year" title,
I started my own business...me", she states. "I just had a one hundred percent commitment to success and no regard at all for the "rules" of show business. I talked my way into auditions and took every role I was offered, working to develop my acting skills and a screen image that I hoped would appeal."
One of her first movies was Repossessed with Leslie Nielsen and Linda Blair. She says, "I had two scenes, was paid $100 and had a trailer with my name on the door. It was the Big Time!" She did extra work on Bugsy and The Doors, to name only a couple, as well as a body double for Geena Davis in Thelma and Louise. She laughs, "However, Geena started feeling comfortable with the love scenes with Brad Pitt, so I was paid but never used!"
Julie Strain grew up in Concord, California. At age 13, she was already six feet tall and an outstanding athlete, but finding adolescence difficult. "I was a wild kid," she admits. "Always in trouble of one sort or another." Her first boyfriend after high school was a body builder and, through him, she began to develop the physique that has won her the respect and admiration she has today. To his credit, he also insisted that Julie attend college. She earned an AA degree, with honors. Julie had a short body building career...
Then Julie Strain lost her past.
It was the result of an accident. Animal-lover Julie was riding her horse when it was spooked. Julie sustained head injuries that left her with amnesia and very few clear memories of her past life. Taking some time to recover and travel, while in Las Vegas attending a championship fight, Julie was spotted by several entertainment industry executives who showed enough "real" interest for Julie to travel to Los Angeles.
And the rest, as they say, is history!
