Call Answered: Julie Halston Interview: 11 Things You Didn't Know About This Character Actress
Aug 15, 2009
Actress Julie Halston does it all...from theatre to television to movies to books.
Television audiences will know Julie from her roles on HBO's Sex and The City as "Bitsy Von Muffling" and CBS' The Class, playing "Tina Carmello."
This fall Julie can be seen in the new PBS show The Electric Company as "Antigone Carruthers."
In this interview, Julie answered my call to share:
- How she went from wanting to be a nun to chasing a life on stage
- The two comedy legends who inspired her to become a performer
- The dream collaborators still on her wish list
- Her wildest “best” & “worst” moments performing, from Broadway highs to a leather bar on Halloween
- The quirky celebrity-obsessed talent she has that almost no one knows about
- Why she refuses to shop
- Her all‑time favorite plays, musicals, TV shows & retro websites she’s secretly addicted to.
- So much more
Catch Julie at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, NY starring in Miss Margarida's Way
from August 19-29, 2009!
Julie Halston as Electra
2003 Broadway revival of Gypsy
1. Who inspired you to become a performer? Honestly I had no idea what I was doing until I met Charles Busch and Lewis Black.
2. When did you realize you wanted to become a performer? I was about 9 years old when I decided I wanted to be a performer -- it was either that or a nun -- either way I wanted some drama!
3. Who is the one person you haven't worked with that you would like to? I 'd love to work with Tony Kushner and Mike Nichols.
4. What has been your best and worst experience in a show? The Best experience is: anything with Charles Busch. The worst: a 20 minute comedy set at a leather bar in the Village on Halloween night!
5. Do you have any strange or unusual talent that no one knows about? Strange Talent I have -- I am bizarrely obsessed with knowing the names of celebs children.
Nathan Lane & Julie Halston
As Bobby Fine & Bitsy Von Muffling
Season 5 Episode 8: I Love A Charade
6. Describe your worst shopping experience? As for shopping I don't do it -- I HATE shopping - I have a fabbo stylist named Vangeli Kaseluris and he saves my life everyday!
7. If you could dream about anyone while you sleep, who would it be? I dream about my husband - honestly.
8. Favorite play? My Favorite play is A Streetcar Named Desire
9. Favorite Musical? My favorite musical is GYPSY.
10. Favorite TV show? My Favorite TV show is anything that is playing on TCM.
11. Favorite website? My favorite website is anything that involves Grey Gardens or the Beatles. Am I too retro or what??
Julie Halston
Photo Courtesy of Julie Halston
More on Julie Halston:
Julie Halston started her career as a founding member of Charles Busch's legendary theatre company, Theatre-In-Limbo, for which she received a Drama Desk nomination for her performance in Charles Busch's Red Scare on Sunset.
Charles & Julie have gone on to star in many of his productions such as The Lady In Question, You Should Be So Lucky, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, & Shanghai Moon.
Other Off-Broadway credits include: White Chocolate (Drama League & Drama Desk nomination), her one woman show Julie Halston's Lifetime of Comedy (Outer Critics Nomination), The Vagina Monologues, The Butter & The Egg, and The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.
On Broadway, Julie has been seen in Hairspray, Gypsy, Twentieth Century (Outer Critics Nomination), The Women, & The Man Who Came To Dinner.
On top of that, Julie has been awarded four MAC awards for her stand-up comedy and played a triple extension run at Birdland in NYC.
Julie has been in such hits films as Joe Gould’s Secret, Small Time Crooks, The Juror, Addams Family Values, Celebrity, and Dottie Gets Spanked.
In January of 2008, Julie co-authored a book of original monologues Monologues for Show-Offs published by Heinemann Press.
