Julie Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Whitewright, Texas, U.S. [1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Austin College [1] |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Spouse(s) | Dylan Paul Thomas (m. 1981;div. 1987)John Neal (m. 2019) |
| Children | 1 |
Julie Johnson is an American actress who voiced the character Baby Bop on the PBS television series Barney & Friends , as well as its predecessor, Barney & the Backyard Gang (debuting in Barney in Concert in 1991).
Johnson was the valedictorian of the 1977 graduating class of Whitewright High School, in Whitewright, Texas. [3]
In 1991, Johnson got a call from her agent in regards to the Barney & the Backyard Gang video series. Her agent suggested that she go audition for the series. Around this time, Johnson played Sister Mary Amnesia for the musical Nunsense . During the audition for Barney & the Backyard Gang, Johnson looked at the Baby Bop costume, unsure of what she would do, and thought of the voice of a whining child desiring for a toy in a store. Johnson's voice for Baby Bop was also similar to her voice for Sister Mary Amnesia. After doing the gig for the video series, Johnson didn't hear anything back from the crew due to it being suggested that Baby Bop would be a one-time character.
A few months later, Johnson's mother saw an article that discussed Barney & the Backyard Gang becoming a series on PBS. Unsure if she would retain her role, Johnson was contacted three days later in regards to joining the show. Johnson portrayed Baby Bop from 1991 until 2010.
Sonny Franks, who appeared in the direct-to-video specials Come on Over to Barney's House and Let's Go to the Fire House, wrote a few songs for Johnson's discography. [4]
Johnson was meant to be interviewed for the 2022 documentary about the show entitled I Love You, You Hate Me , but due to conflicts between her time on tour and when the crew could film, it didn't work out. [5]
Later roles in Johnson's career include A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, in which she played the legendary country singer Patsy Cline [6] and in Come From Away as Beulah. [7]