Julie Sommars

Not to be confused with Julie Summers.
Julie Sommars
Sommars in 1970.
Born (1940-04-15) April 15, 1940 (age 84)
Fremont, Nebraska, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1960–1994
Known forThe Governor & J.J.
Matlock
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo

Julie Sommars (born April 15, 1940) is an American actress. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her role in The Governor & J.J. in 1970, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for Matlock in 1990.[1]

Life and career

Sommars was born in Fremont, Nebraska, on April 15, 1940.[2][3] She was raised in Iowa and South Dakota.[4]

Television

Sommars is best known for her work on television. She made her television debut in 1960, at the age of 18, in an episode of The Loretta Young Show.[4] She later appeared in Gunsmoke; Shirley Temple's Storybook; The Great Adventure; Bonanza; Run, Buddy, Run; Perry Mason; Ben Casey; Death Valley Days; The Fugitive; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; Get Smart; and Love, American Style.[5]

From 1969 to 1970, Sommars starred as Jennifer Jo "J.J." Drinkwater, the daughter of Dan Dailey's the "Governor" in the CBS comedy series, The Governor & J.J.. In 1970, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her performance on the show.[6] The series was canceled after two seasons.

After The Governor & J.J., Sommars played the leading roles in a number of made-for-television movies and starred in several pilots. She guest-starred on The Rockford Files; Harry O; McCloud; McMillan; Barnaby Jones; Fantasy Island; Magnum, P.I.; and Diagnosis: Murder. In 1984, she was a regular cast member in the short-lived syndicated soap opera, Rituals. From 1987 to 1994, Sommars played Assistant District Attorney Julie March on the NBC legal series, Matlock.[7] This role also garnered her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television in 1990.[6]

Film

Sommars has appeared in four films. She played the female lead in the 1965 Western The Great Sioux Massacre with Joseph Cotten. The following year, she starred with Brian Bedford in the comedy The Pad and How to Use It. In 1977, Sommars co-starred with Dean Jones and Don Knotts as the beautiful, assertive Diane Darcy in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo.[8]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "Nebraska, U.S., Birth Ledgers, 1904-1911, Birth Index, 1912-1994". www.ancestry.com.
  2. ^ Variety International Show Business Reference, 1983. Garland. 1983. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-8240-9089-0. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  3. ^ Nebraska Blue Book. Nebraska Legislative Council. 1998. p. 87. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Julie Sommars". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  5. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes: Movies | TV Shows | Movie Trailers | Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  6. ^ a b "Browse Results - Golden Globe Awards Official Website". Goldenglobes.org. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  7. ^ "Showtimes, reviews, trailers, news and more - MSN Movies". Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  8. ^ Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, retrieved 2022-04-23