Julie Sergie Sommars is an American actress. She won a

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivere ...

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.

Life and career

Sommars was born in

Fremont, Nebraska Fremont is a city and county seat of Dodge County in the eastern portion of the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. The population was 27,141 at the 2020 census. Fremont is the home of Midland University. History From the 1830 ...

in 1942. She was raised in Iowa and South Dakota.

Television

Sommars is best known for her work on television. She made her television debut In 1960, at the age of eighteen, in an episode of '' The Loretta Young Show''. She later appeared in ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', ''

Shirley Temple's Storybook ''Shirley Temple's Storybook'' is a 1958-1961 American children's anthology series hosted and narrated by actress Shirley Temple. The series features adaptations of fairy tales like Mother Goose and other family-oriented stories performed by well ...

'', '' The Great Adventure'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', ''

Run, Buddy, Run ''Run, Buddy, Run'' was an American comedy TV series that aired on CBS for one season of 16 episodes in 1966-1967. The series was created by Leonard B. Stern, and starred jazz trumpeter, singer, and actor Jack Sheldon. Description At a steambat ...

'', ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'', ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

'', ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

'', and ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

''. From 1969-70, Sommars starred as Jennifer Jo "J.J." Drinkwater, the daughter of

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American dancer and actor. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

's the "Governor" in the CBS comedy series, '' The Governor & J.J.''. In 1970, she won the

for her performance on the show. 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 ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investiga ...

'', ''

Harry O ''Harry O'', sometimes spelled ''Harry-O'', is an American Detective fiction, private detective series that aired for two seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was exec ...

,'' '' McCloud'', ''

McMillan MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to: People * McMillan (surname) * Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan * Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician * James MacMillan, Scottish composer * William Duncan MacMillan ...

'', ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...

'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tatto ...

'', '' Magnum, P.I.'', and '' Diagnosis: Murder''. In 1984, she was a regular cast member in the short-lived syndicated soap opera, ''

Rituals A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...

''. From 1987 to 1994, Sommars played assistant District Attorney Julie March on the NBC legal series, '' Matlock''. This role also garnered her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television in 1990.

Film

Sommars has appeared in four movies. She played the female lead in the 1965 western ''

The Great Sioux Massacre ''The Great Sioux Massacre'' is a 1965 American Western war film directed by Sidney Salkow in CinemaScope using extensive action sequences from Salkow's 1954 ''Sitting Bull''. In a fictionalized form, it depicts Custer's descent from a defender ...

'' with

Joseph Cotten Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and '' Sab ...

. The following year, she starred with

Brian Bedford Brian Bedford (16 February 1935 – 13 January 2016) was an English actor. He appeared in film and on stage, and was an actor-director of Shakespeare productions. Bedford was nominated for seven Tony Awards for his theatrical work. He served ...

in the comedy ''

The Pad and How to Use It ''The Pad (and How to Use It)'' is a 1966 comedy film directed by Brian G. Hutton. It was based on the one-act play ''The Private Ear'' by Peter Shaffer. Plot A sensitive man named Bob Handman (Brian Bedford), who lives alone in his apartment, e ...

''. In 1977, Sommars co-starred with Dean Jones and

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on '' The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...

as the beautiful, assertive Diane Darcy in '' Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo''.

Filmography

*'' Letter to Loretta'' as Laury Barlow (1 episode, 1960) *''

Sea Hunt ''Sea Hunt'' is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges a ...

'' as Betty Crane (Season 3, Episode 31, 1960) *''

'' as Princess Mary (1 episode, 1960) *'' Holiday Lodge'' as Cecilia (1 episode, 1961) *'' The Tall Man'' as Anna Henry (1 episode, 1961) *''

Outlaws An outlaw is a person living outside the law. Outlaws or The Outlaws may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Outlaws'' (1950 film), an Italian crime film * ''Outlaws'' (1985 film), a French film * ''The Outlaws'' (2017 film), a Sou ...

'' as Ellie (1 episode, 1961) *'' The Great Adventure'' as Meg Jethro (1 episode, 1964) *'' Memo from Purgatory'' (1964) *''

'' - Episode - The Roper - Emma Hewitt (1964) *'' Sex and the College Girl'' (1964) as Susan *'' Slattery's People'' as Electra Walton (1 episode, 1965) *'' Flipper'' as Tina's Mother (1 episode, 1965) *''

'' as Helen Kendall (1 episode, 1965) *'' Mr. Novak'' as Ellen Cable (1 episode, 1965) *''

'' as Ruth Ann Carmody (1 episode, 1965) *''

'' (1965) as Caroline Reno *''

'' as Tulie in "Peter the Hunter", and as Sister Blandina Segale in "The Fastest Nun in the West" (2 episodes, 1964, 1966) *''

'' as Bess Campbell (4 episodes, 1964-1966) *''

'' as Elsie Howell (1 episode, 1965) *''

'' as Sara Stone (1 episode, 1966) *''

'' as Gert *''

'' (1966) as Doreen Marshall *'' Run Buddy Run'' as Betsy Jensen (1 episode, 1966) *''

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic ...

'' as Maggie Lake (1 episode, 1966) *'' The Fugitive'' as Carla Karac (2 episodes, 1965-1966) *'' My Husband Tom...and John'' unaired pilot film (1966) *''

'' as Darlene Sims (2 episodes, 1965-1967) *''

The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science-fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invas ...

'' as Grace Vincent (1 episode, 1967) *''

He & She ''He & She'' is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network as part of its 1967–1968 lineup, originally sponsored by General Foods and Lever Brothers. ''He & She'' is widely considered by broadcast historians to have bee ...

'' as Rosemary Wallace (1 episode, 1967) *''

Dundee and the Culhane ''Dundee and the Culhane'' is an American Western drama series starring John Mills and Sean Garrison that aired on CBS from September 6 to December 13, 1967. Synopsis ''Dundee and the Culhane'' follows the exploits of two frontier lawyers who pro ...

'' as Lela (1 episode, 1967) *''

'' as Mimsi Sage (1 episode, 1968) *'' European Eye'' (1968) as Molly *''

Felony Squad ''The Felony Squad'' is a half-hour television crime drama originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 12, 1966, to January 31, 1969, a span encompassing seventy-three episodes. Overview The program starred Howard Duff (as Sergeant ...

'' as Ellen Willis (2 episodes, 1968) *''

Judd for the Defense ''Judd, for the Defense'' is an American legal drama originally broadcast on the ABC network on Friday nights from September 8, 1967, to March 21, 1969. Synopsis The show stars Carl Betz, who had previously spent eight years in the role of Dr. Al ...

'' as Trish Overbaugh (1 episode, 1968) *'' The Name of the Game'' as Barbara Ellis (1 episode, 1968) *'' The Virginian'' as Martha Carson (1 episode, 1968) *''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' as Betty Caldwell (3 episodes, 1967-1969) *''

Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the ...

'' as Catha Cameron (1 episode, 1969) *'' The Governor & J.J.'' as Jennifer Jo Drinkwater (39 episodes, 1969-1970) *''

Five Desperate Women ''Five Desperate Women'' is a 1971 American TV film directed by Ted Post. It was an ABC Movie of the Week. Plot A violent inmate, whose face is not shown, escapes from a state mental facility. He makes his way to a private beach, drowns a man rela ...

'' (1971) as Mary Grace Brown *'' The Harness'' (1971) as Jennifer Shagaras *'' How to Steal an Airplane'' (1971) as Dorothy *'' McCloud'' as Jennie (1 episode, 1971) *'' Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law'' as Jill Peniman (1 episode, 1972) *''

Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love Rex may refer to: * Rex (title) (Latin: king, ruler, monarch), a royal title ** King of Rome (Latin: Rex Romae), chief magistrate of the Roman Kingdom People * Rex (given name), for people with the given name * Rex (surname), for people with ...

'' (1974) as Patricia *''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' as Ann Rogers (1 episode, 1974) *'' Fools, Females and Fun'' (1974) as Alice Shoemaker *''

'' as Gertrude Blainey (1 episode, 1974) *''

'' as Tawnia Baker (1 episode, 1974) *'' McCloud'' as Police Sgt. Mildred Cross (1 episode, 1974) *''

'' as Ruby Deems (1 episode, 1974) *''

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...

'' as Lane Cameron (1 episode, 1975) *''

The Family Holvak ''The Family Holvak'' is a 1975 American television series. Plot Tom Holvak, a small town minister in Bensfield, Tennessee, struggles to keep his family afloat and maintain his congregation's faith during the Great Depression The Great D ...

'' as Kate Gifford (1 episode, 1975) *''

Three for the Road ''Three for the Road'' is a 1987 road comedy film directed by Bill L. Norton and starring Charlie Sheen, Alan Ruck, Kerri Green, Sally Kellerman and Blair Tefkin. Plot The film centers around Paul Tracy (Charlie Sheen), a college student an ...

'' as Amy Parsons (1 episode, 1975) *''

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...

'' as Emmy Reinhart (1 episode, 1975) *'' Bronk'' as Sara (1 episode, 1976) *'' Jigsaw John'' as Carol Chapman (1 episode, 1976) *'' McMillan and Wife'' as Carol Hanover (1 episode, 1977) *'' Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo'' (1977) as Diane Darcy *''

'' as Carmen Drake (1 episode, 1978) *''

Centennial {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at a ...

'' as Alice Grebe (1 episode, 1979) *'' Sex and the Single Parent'' (1979) as Bonnie *''

'' as Amy Cameron (1 episode, 1979) *''

Beyond Westworld ''Beyond Westworld'' is a 1980 American television series based on the 1973 film ''Westworld,'' which was written and directed by Michael Crichton. It ignored the 1976 film sequel ''Futureworld''. Synopsis Security Chief John Moore of the Delos C ...

'' as Liz Nicholson (1 episode, 1980) *''

'' as Laura Crane (1 episode, 1980) *'' Magnum, P.I.'' as Jennie 'JL' Lowry/Texas Lightning (1 episode, 1982) *''

Cave-In! ''Cave-In!'' (sometimes listed as ''Cave In!'') is a 1983 American made-for-television action disaster film starring Dennis Cole, Leslie Nielsen and James Olson. The movie was produced by Irwin Allen in 1979 in association with Warner Bros ...

'' (1983) as Liz Johnson *''

Emergency Room An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pati ...

'' (1983) as Nina Cole *'' Partners in Crime'' as Nola (1 episode, 1984) *'' Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin'' (1991) as Betty Farmer *'' Matlock'' as A.D.A. Julie March (94 episodes, 1987-1992) *''

Diagnosis Murder ''Diagnosis: Murder'' is an American action-comedy-mystery-medical crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son Steve, a homicide detective played by Van Dyk ...

'' as Regina Baylor (1 episode, 1994) *'' Matlock'' as Julie March (1 episode, 1994)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sommars, Julie American film actresses American television actresses Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Living people Actresses from Iowa Actresses from South Dakota 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women 1942 births