Julie Chapin
Born and raised in the "Brotherly Love" city of Philadelphia, Julie Chapin had a knack for grabbing attention at an early age. As a child, Julie performed plays for friends and neighbors and, by the age of 12, incorporated her entrepreneurial skills by creating puppet shows and hiring herself out at birthday parties for small children. By 16, Chapin was playing the Catskills and it was obvious to anyone who knew her that Hollywood was beckoning.
Her parents were not so amused. They urged Chapin to pursue a career - "a real job" - which eventually she did, but not before enrolling in an acting class at Vassar College, conducted by none other than the legendary actress Jean Arthur, an experience she would never forget and which would serve her well in her future.
During the next 30 years, Chapin worked as a corporate attorney. She eventually married, raised four children, and sent them off to college. Julie then retired from the corporate setting and went on to work in the non-profit world - for an organization that benefits children in the foster care system. As fulfilling as it was, she pondered of what would be the next chapter in her life. That's when she reflected on her past acting classes with Jean Arthur.
Julie came back to the industry blazing! Within three short years, she would go on to perform in some 60+ productions, representing stage (The Vagina Monologues; Cupcake Cabaret; etc.), film (The Touchstone; See All the People; and more, including the award-winning films Soulmate; Smiley Face Killers; and Smoking Section), TV (I'll Kill for You; Monsters Inside Me; Celebrity Ghost Stories; etc.), and commercials (for HP, Kodak, Walmart, and many others).
More recently, in addition to serving as producer/host for PetsCentral Media (LA/Hong Kong) and Princeton Public Access TV, Julie has been filming in Hollywood as the lovable, earthy widow Fannie Goldstein in the family adventure film Ghost Goggles, and in the recurring role of the tough classy widow Alexandra Levy in the new epic series Sangre Negra.
It's been more than 30 years since Julie Chapin was told to 'get a real job.' And today this mother, wife and retiree is proving that the entertainment industry is where she belonged all along.
For Julie Chapin, life is better the second time around.