Julia Campbell

Julia Campbell (March 12, 1963) is an American actress. She began her career starring in the daytime television soap operas Ryan's Hope and Santa Barbara, before playing the lead in the short-lived sitcom Women in Prison (1987–1988). Her most noted role to date was "mean girl" Christie Masters in the 1997 comedy film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.

Life and career

Campbell was born in Redstone Arsenal, near Huntsville, Alabama, the daughter of a model mother and an army officer father. Campbell made her television debut playing Ryan's granddaughter Maura "Katie" Thompson in the ABC daytime soap opera Ryan's Hope from 1984 to 1985. In 1986 she played Courtney Capwell in the NBC soap opera, Santa Barbara. In 1987 she went to star in the Fox sitcom Women in Prison. The series was canceled after 13 episodes. In 1989 she was a regular cast member in the other short-lived sitcom, Knight & Daye.

In 1990, Campbell starred opposite Dana Carvey in the comedy film Opportunity Knocks and later appeared in films Livin' Large (1991) and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997). During the 1990s, Campbell starred in a number of made-for-television movies and was lead actress in the 1992 unsold pilot of The Witches of Eastwick. She was a regular cast member on short-lived sitcoms Cutters (1993), Blue Skies (1994), A Whole New Ballgame (1995), Men Behaving Badly (1996) and Champs (1996). She also had recurring roles on Herman's Head, Martial Law, Still Standing and Dexter, and guest-starred on Ally McBeal, Malcolm in the Middle, Seinfeld ("The Frogger" episode), Friends, House, The Mentalist, The Practice, The Pretender, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds and Justified. She co-starred in the 2002 miniseries Rose Red and had a starring role in the 2006 drama film, Tillamook Treasure (2006), in which she plays Kathryn Kimbell, the mother of the story's lead character. She appeared on the last episode of the series The Shield, on which her husband Jay Karnes played the character of Dutch Wagenbach, as a lawyer for Dutch's partner, Steve Billings, who is instantly attracted to Dutch.