20 Facts About Julia McKenzie

Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie was born on 17 February 1941 and is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director.

Julia McKenzie has premiered leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim.

Julia McKenzie starred in the original London productions of the Sondheim musicals Follies and Into the Woods.

Julia McKenzie was born on 17 February 1941, in Enfield, Middlesex, England, the daughter of Kathleen Rowe and Albion Julia McKenzie.

Julia McKenzie trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Julia McKenzie appeared in the West End revue Side by Side by Sondheim in 1976, and made her Broadway debut when the show transferred to New York in 1977, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Julia McKenzie went on to appear in the original West End productions of two Sondheim musicals, playing Sally in Follies at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1987, and the Witch in Into the Woods at the Phoenix Theatre in 1990.

Julia McKenzie continued her association with Stephen Sondheim when she starred as Mrs Lovett in the 1993 London revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Julia McKenzie appeared in a National Theatre 80th birthday tribute to Lord Olivier, Happy Birthday, Sir Larry, on 31 May 1987 in the presence of Olivier himself.

Julia McKenzie went on to greater popularity with British viewers as Hester in the 1980s sitcom Fresh Fields opposite Anton Rodgers, and its 1990s sequel French Fields, for which she was voted TV Times Favourite Female Comedy Performance for five consecutive years.

Julia McKenzie appeared as Mrs Forthby in Blott on the Landscape and as a villager involved in a series of murders in an episode of Midsomer Murders.

Julia McKenzie has made several appearances in BBC TV's long running variety show, The Good Old Days.

Julia McKenzie was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews outside the Royalty Theatre in London.

On 26 December 2013, Julia McKenzie appeared as the title character in the film adaption of David Walliams' book Gangsta Granny.

In February 2015, Julia McKenzie appeared as Shirley Mollison in the BBC mini series The Casual Vacancy.

Julia McKenzie is a radio performer with a long list of credits, including Blithe Spirit, The Country Wife and A Room with a View.

Julia McKenzie recorded an audio book of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass.

Julia McKenzie lent her voice to several animated works for Martin Gates Productions including three films The Snow Queen, Jack and the Beanstalk and The Snow Queen's Revenge and the TV series Bimble's Bucket.

Julia McKenzie is a critic of fox hunting and was among more than 20 high-profile people who signed a letter to members of parliament in 2015 to oppose Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron's plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004.

Julia McKenzie was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to drama.