Julia Rose Barr - Emmy Award Winning Actress on All My Children

January 2004 Newsletter

Greetings and Happy New Year!

As always, thank you to new and returning guests to juliarosebarr.com for your support and comments about The Fund For Animals and All My Children. (Please let us know if you want to be taken off this list by hitting reply on this email and writing "unsubscribe" in the subject line.) I launched the site with two goals: first, to communicate with and reach out to devoted All My Children fans; second, to provide information and education about the protection of animals and my involvement with The Fund For Animals ( http://www.fund.org ).

I hope you enjoyed your holidays. I had a wonderful and relaxing time at home with my family. We saw friends and lots of movies. We also saw Henry IV (at Lincoln Center) starring Kevin Kline, which was great!

Check out the "Photo Scrapbook" on my website, where I've added a bunch of my personal snapshots from our Christmas at home.

Speaking of the website, also be sure to visit my "Personal Stats" page. I've updated and added some info, particularly some of the more frequently asked "favorites" many of you have asked me about. Keep your questions coming and I'll try to include them in the future on the site.

Going back to work after an extended holiday is always a bit slow-going ! But I was very happy to get back to the All My Children studio right after New Years. I am thoroughly enjoying working in the JR/Jamie/Babe story with Michael (Tad) and David (Adam). And now that the character of Edmund is in the hospital, stay tuned for Brooke's involvement in that !

Finally, I wanted to let you know about a project that The Fund For Animals has launched. They've made available a three-minute "movie" (Dr. Seuss style) available on the web that tackles the issue of fur trim. Check out the tale of "Fufanu" -- a three-minute operatic mini-musical "cartoon" that tells the story of Penny, a young woman who has just purchased a fur-trimmed coat and handbag, only to have a creature called the Fufanu emerge from her collar. The topic is of course disturbing, but this "movie" is informative, entertaining, and very impressive in getting its message across. Check it out at: http://www.MoreThanYouDo.com

I hope that 2004 brings you ALL good things !

Till next month.....
All the best,
Julia

February 2004

Hello Friends

As many of you know, February is my favorite month because my wedding anniversary is on Valentine's Day. This year we had a very special celebration because we were on vacation in Mexico. We JUST got home. It was so beautiful and relaxing (and romantic!) and Richie and I had a wonderful time. On the way home we stopped off to visit our daughter in college, so that was the perfect end to a perfect vacation.

I hope you enjoyed the new photos and personal statistics/favorites I added to the website last month. Let me know what else you'd like to see on the site. I will add a few of my vacation photos as well this week.

Having been on vacation, I don't have much to report from the All My Children studio. Before I left, many of you wrote about how much you enjoyed the Brooke/Edmund scenes in the hospital. Thank you for your feedback. I think this will turn out to be a very good story and, like you, I look forward to seeing what's next. I go back to work this week and am eager to see the next batch of scripts. I do look forward to some upcoming scenes I will be taping with my old friend, actor Dick Shoberg, who returns briefly to the show as "Tom," airing in mid-March.

On the animal front, some of you had asked me what we do with our own animal companions (two cats, one dog, one rabbit) when we travel. This is always such a difficult decision and there is not a right or wrong answer. Each family and each animal have different needs. I do think that it is probably least traumatic for the animal to be able to stay in his or her environment at home with someone coming in - a friend or family member - to care for them. But unfortunately few of us have that luxury and convenience. With my family, for example, one of our cats is on medication, so when we go away, we need her to stay at the vet's office so she can receive her meds. Our dog needs a lot of attention and exercise, so she goes to a wonderful nearby accredited kennel where I know they treat her like royalty. Our other cat freaks out and won't leave home, so a good friend stops by to care for her and our rabbit. It is very tough and we feel guilty no matter what we do. But, I can guarantee you that as long as they are SAFE and well cared for in your absence - they WILL forgive you and love you just as much when you get home. (Okay, they may hold a grudge for a day, but that fades VERY fast !)

Hope your Valentine's Day was filled with love..and chocolate.

All the best,
Julia

March 2004

Hello Friends,

Happy Spring. although from the look of things here in New York, we still have a few weeks to go. We had quite a few snowstorms last week.

Thank you so much for all of your feedback on the new photos on the site, and your continuous support and notes with your opinions on All My Children - my storyline and others. Brooke is still be very much involved in the Jamie story and of course with Maria and Edmund - it just has been a little slow because a great deal has been going on with the big crossover story with One Life to Live and All My Children. (I would love it if one day Brooke crossed-over to Llanview/One Life to Live .How about a scene with Dorian ? Or a kiss with Bo now that he is single again ?! THAT would be fun!) I've loved the recent scenes I've had with Michael Knight (Tad) and according to so many of your emails, you enjoyed them as well. Also, many of your wrote me about your excitement that Dick Shoberg was back on the show ("Tom") and, I agree, it was great to see him back. Don't know if there are plans to keep him around, but I will keep you posted. Others have been writing to check in to see how Ruth ("Phoebe") is doing since she hasn't been on the show lately. She is doing okay, and we all just learned that she is one of a handful of soap opera veterans who will be honored at the Daytime Emmy Awards this year (May 21). No one deserves such an honor more than her. She is quite an amazing lady.

On the animal front, I wanted to let you know about an upcoming auction to support The Fund For Animals' TIGER RESCUE campaign. The Fund is educating the public about the crisis of people owning wild animals. There is a horrible story about tigers rescued in Colton, CA last year (visit http://www.fund.org and click on the baby cub button that says "Save the Tigers" - that will tell you the whole story) and while these tigers are very lucky that The Fund came to their rescue, there are over 10,000 tigers privately owned in the U.S. - twice as many as there are living in the wild in Asia. The Fund cannot save all of these big cats, but they are letting people know about the dangers of owning exotic animals as pets. "Wild animals belong in the wild" is the message. When a wild animal is taken out of the wild it causes great danger to humans, to the animals, and to the preservation of the species.

The AUCTION is a terrific way for you to support the cause. In addition to my donating a dress from AMC and a personal phone call from me to the highest bidder, Grant Aleksander (Guiding Light) has also donated a phone call. Other items up for auction: As The World Turns backstage studio tour; tickets to tapings of The View and Regis and Kelly; autographed scripts from The King of Queens and Joan of Acadia (starring ex-General Hospital star Amber Tamblyn); goodies from The Young and The Restless; DVDs from Saturday Night Live; and much more. Be sure to check it out when the auction goes live on FRIDAY, APRIL 16 FOR ONE WEEK AT http://www.fundauctions.org. Happy bidding !!

Till next month.....

All the best,
Julia

April, 2004

Happy Spring:

So many of you continue to ask me about Ruth Warrick ("Aunt Phoebe"), who of course I've known and loved since the day I met her when I started on All My Children in 1976. I went to see Ruth last week at her home in Manhattan and we had a great visit together - I think I tired her out with all of our catching up! She asked all about what was going on over at the show, and in my own life, particularly about my daughter Allison, who Ruth always enjoys hearing about. Even at her age, Ruth is still one of the funniest and most incredible women I've ever known. Despite slowing down a bit, she sure has maintained her quick wit. We talked about her being honored at the upcoming Daytime Emmy Award ceremony on May 21, and she is very pleased to be recognized.

Thank you for your emails and comments about my recent scenes with Eva ("Maria"). Eva and I really enjoy working together and I am really glad that our two characters are addressing some of the history and emotions involved in our on-screen relationship. John ("Edmund") has been doing some fabulous work as his character has been confined to a wheelchair, don't you think ? Over the past weeks, I've had the chance to have scenes with Eva, John, Michael ("Tad"), and David ("Adam") - so I've been enjoying myself quite a bit. I look forward to more Brooke storyline/air time in the coming months (and I know you do too!).

On the animal front, I wanted to remind you about an upcoming auction to support The Fund For Animals' TIGER RESCUE campaign. The Fund is educating the public about the crisis of people owning wild animals and this auction is a great way for you to support the cause. In addition to my donating a dress and a personal phone call from me to the highest bidder, there are other terrific items up for auction from the soap world, the primetime television world, and lots of other fun celebrity memorabilia. Please be sure to check it out starting TODAY -- FRIDAY, APRIL 16 AT http://www.fundauctions.org . The auction will be up for one week. Happy bidding !!

All the best,
Julia

May, 2004

Happy Spring:

First, let me thank all of those who participated in The Fund For Animals "tiger rescue" on-line auction. The auction was a huge success (over $12,000 raised) and it will help tremendously with the daily feeding and care of the 39 tigers rescued from the tragic incident in Colton, CA that I told you about in previous newsletters. (For more info on the tigers' story visit http://www.fund.org and click on the tiger cub button). Winning auction bidders will be notified in the coming weeks and logistics for receiving your items will be worked out right away. THANK YOU!!!!

Next, I wanted to tell you that unfortunately I am unable to attend this year's annual All My Children fan club event in New York in August. It is always such a fabulous event and I think Carol Dickson does a terrific, classy job pulling it all together each year. She works SO hard. I am disappointed that I won't be there, but we have several commitments this summer, including our annual summer family vacation, as well as visiting our daughter Allison, who has been accepted into a prestigious summer theatre program in Europe (I am so proud!!). I will be at the luncheon in spirit and know that those who attend will have a great time with all of my colleagues and cast-mates!!

I've enjoyed reading your emails and letters about the scenes I've had on the show these past few weeks with David Canary ("Adam"), especially the scene where our characters share an embrace in the hospital and "Mary" sees us. WOW ! You all jumped on that one. I agree with all of your feedback - it would be a very fun triangle and storyline. I honestly don't know where they are headed, but as I've said before, I LOVE working with David Canary and I have always been extremely fond of the "Brooke" and "Adam" relationship. I don't think there is another quite like it.

I hope you are enjoying your spring. I can't believe summer is just around the corner! It goes so fast.....

Till next month.....

All the best,
Julia

June, 2004

Happy Summer:

As you know, on the All My Children front, things have been a little slow for my character. It does get frustrating, I admit. However, we are taping several scenes over the next few weeks revolving around the Jamie, J.R. and Babe scenario - and the various parents who are involved. There will be some interesting Brooke/Adam scenes as a result. Who knows what direction that make take ... eventually !!!!

Last week I finally spent the day shooting new headshots and photos. I was long overdue for a new shoot and we had a lot of fun doing different set ups in various outfits. The studio space was an amazing loft space with a balcony overlooking New York City and the Hudson River facing New Jersey. It was breathtaking and reminded me of how much I love the city. As soon as the new pix are processed and ready, we will post some on the website.

I do have some sad news to share. Our sweet mini-lop rabbit Louis passed-away last Friday. He was old and he went very quickly. We have such fond memories of Louis, who hopped into our back yard six years ago in September. My good friend called him "the luckiest rabbit who ever lived." We will miss him, but we know he is in good company with all of our other animal companions who have gone on.

But life goes on and I hope that you are all enjoying the early days of summer. Please make sure you protect your animal buddies from the heat and humidity with extra water throughout the day. You want to keep them healthy and safe !

Till next month.....
All the best,
Julia

July, 2004

Hi There:

Thank you for all of your kind notes and thoughts about our rabbit Louis who passed-away last month. I know that so many of you have gone through losing an animal companion and I appreciated your sharing your stories and hearing about all of your loved ones. It has been difficult to get through, but we are doing fine, and our cats and dog are adjusting to the change in the house.

On another note, I wanted to tell you about a lovely evening I spent a few weeks ago in Manhattan at a gathering for one of my favorite people - and one of the best actors around -- James Mitchell ("Palmer Cortlandt"). Jill Larson ("Opal"), who is a dear friend of James, threw an intimate dinner in his honor to celebrate his 25th anniversary on All My Children. He is an incredible man with an even more incredible career resume from Broadway and film, to dance and, of course, television. And, who doesn't LOVE his portrayal of Palmer ?! We had such a good time at the party, and I loved catching up with some old All My Children friends who I don't get to see very often, like Gillian Spencer (ex "Daisy") and Vasili Bogazianos (ex "Benny"). My husband and I also always enjoy hanging out with David Canary ("Adam/Stuart") and his wife Maureen, who were also there.

In your emails to me, some of you were inquiring about any summer movies I've seen or if I was into any particular television show. Actually we caught Fahrenheit 9/11 and the new Harry Potter - both of which I liked a lot -- but haven't seen much else so far this summer. At home, we rented Master and Commander last weekend, and I don't ever miss an episode of my favorite television show, HBO's Six Feet Under !

On the All My Children storyline front, over the next few weeks on air, I am very involved in some good stuff on the show involving the Martins and Chandlers going up against each other.

And finally, we are gearing up for our summer vacation now. We plan to go to England to visit our daughter who is spending time there during her summer break, and then we all plan to go to our favorite destination, Cape Cod.

I hope you and your families enjoy the summer as well..... Stay cool.

Till next month.....
All the best,
Julia

September, 2004

Hi There:

As always, thank you to new and returning guests to https://juliarosebarr.com for your support and comments about The Fund For Animals and All My Children. (Please let us know if you want to be taken off this list by hitting reply on this email and writing "unsubscribe" in the subject line.) I launched the site with two goals: first, to communicate with and reach out to devoted All My Children fans; second, to provide information and education about the protection of animals and my involvement with The Fund For Animals (http://www.fund.org).

I was on vacation most of August, so I apologize for not sending out an email newsletter last month. We did a great deal of traveling, and I wanted to share a few family vacation photos with you. We posted "summer 2004 vacation photos" from Oxford, England and Cape Cod on the photo page of the website so be sure to check it out. We had a wonderful time on both trips. The Oxford trip was to visit our daughter Allison who participated in a prestigious summer theatre program at Oxford University (we are so proud!) The last two weeks in August on The Cape were filled with family and friends and basically vegging out on the beach. Our dog Lucy was with us for the two weeks so it really made it extra fun (she LOVES the beach!).

On another note, I wanted to address a few current "frequently asked questions" that have been coming in through fan emails:

Several of you wrote in asking if I was doing a movie with other soap stars being produced by Corbin Bernsen - they read a recent article on the film and my name was linked to the project. There was talk last year about the possibility of my involvement, but it didn't work out due to scheduling and travel on my part.

Another question I've been getting quite often lately is how I like working with Justin Bruening, who plays my son "Jamie" on All My Children. Apparently many of you think he is pretty cute. Well, I agree he is adorable, and I enjoy working with him very much. I think he is a terrific actor.

Many of you have also been inquiring about rumors of my leaving the show. Those rumors are false, false, false! Thank you for your concern and support, as always ! (And thanks for the many emails you sent about the scenes in the jail with Brooke, Tad and Jamie). Stay tuned.....

Until next month....
All the best,
Julia

October, 2004

Happy Fall:

I wanted to let you know that I will be attending The 10th Annual Daytime Television Salutes St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Gala event at the Marriott Marquis in New York City this Friday, October 8 (7:00 PM to 11:30 PM). The annual event was spearheaded by As the World Turns' Martha Byrne (Lily) a decade ago and has continually been a huge success. This year over 90 soap stars will attend. I am happy to be able to support such a great cause and really looking forward to mingling with fans and soap colleagues alike that evening. Fans can attend the event which will feature a buffet dinner reception, musical entertainment, and a silent and live auction. For tickets ($135 each) and more information, please visit: http://www.stjude.org.

We just got back from taking our daughter Allison back to college. We spent a few days getting her settled in her new apartment.... cleaning up and scrubbing her new place, and hitting stores like Ikea to fill the place with necessities. It is always fun getting her settled back into her school routine but it doesn't get easier for me as a mom to say goodbye and leave her there!

This week we put up some of my new headshots on the website - on the home page and at the top of some of the other pages. I hadn't done a shoot in a while and I know many of you were eager to see new pictures.

I wanted to send a special message out to those living in Florida who may have been affected by the hurricanes. I know that many of my fans come from various parts of the state. Please know that my thoughts have been with you and your families, including your animal companions.

Until next month.....
All the best,
Julia

November, 2004

Happy Thanksgiving: As always, thank you to new and returning guests to https://juliarosebarr.com for your support and comments about The Fund For Animals and All My Children. (Please let us know if you want to be taken off this list by hitting reply on this email and writing "unsubscribe" in the subject line.) I launched the site with two goals: first, to communicate with and reach out to devoted All My Children fans; second, to provide information and education about the protection of animals and my involvement with The Fund For Animals ( http://www.fund.org ).

Thank you so much for your feedback on my new photos on the website. I really appreciate your compliments!

Speaking of photos, I wanted to let you know that I am implementing an updated "fan mail" system. If you would like a new autographed 8 x 10 photo, please write a letter to me via regular mail to the studio: Julia Barr, All My Children, ABC Daytime, , New York, NY 10023. I still encourage you to send me email through the website, but we can only accept autographed photo requests through regular mail at the studio. Regardless of how you write, or if you even want a photo, I LOVE hearing from all of you. I know some of you don't believe that I read your letters, but I truly read every single email and snail mail that you write. Every single one. I appreciate your questions and comments and am sorry that I am not able to personally answer you. Just know that I am reading what you send, and I appreciate it very much!

Regarding the show, many of you have expressed that you are eager for the baby switch storyline to end. Whatever you think of the story, do you agree that the actors are doing a phenomenal job ? I just think that Justin (who plays my son "Jamie"), Alexa ("Babe") and Eden ("Bianca") are giving exceptional performances. I enjoy watching them. I've been working quite a bit more on the show these days - scenes I tape with Michael ("Tad") and David ("Adam") as you know are my favorites.

On the animal front, many of you have been asking if my holiday CD to support The Fund For Animals is still available. Indeed it is ! You can buy "From Our House ... To Yours" exclusively through http://www.fund.org . 100 percent of sales goes directly to support The Fund For Animals. These make for great stocking stuffers and are for an important cause.

With the holiday season quickly upon us, I wanted to remind you to take extra care of your animal companions. Holiday decorations, gifts, wrappings and various sweets are really dangerous to cats and dogs. No matter how appealing their lively curiosity, be sure they are kept away from anything that can harm them. They'll love you even more.

Until next month, all the best,
Julia

December, 2004

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU !!

I WISH YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES (INCLUDING YOUR ANIMAL COMPANIONS!) A VERY JOYOUS, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SAFE HOLIDAY.

AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND LOYALTY THIS PAST YEAR. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU IN 2005.

UNTIL NEXT MONTH... ALL MY BEST TO YOUR AND YOURS...

CHEERS,
JULIA BARR