Julia Anne McWhirter (born 1947) is a retired American voice actress and impressionist best known for her work as Jeannie in the animated version of Jeannie, Bubbles in Jabberjaw and Baby Smurf and Sassette in The Smurfs.
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Early life and career
An Indianapolis native, McWhirter is one of four children born to Margaret Anne (née Jennings) and Felix T. McWhirter.
By 1966, her senior year at Lawrence Central High School, McWhirter had established herself, both as an actress—portraying Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady—and a skilled mimic, whose repertoire included Alfred Hitchcock and Tammy Grimes. McWhirter graduated from DePauw University in 1970, with a degree in speech.
Hollywood Reporter critic Frank Barron caught McWhirter's act in August 1977, opening for Mort Sahl at the The Comedy Store, in West Hollywood.
Julie McWhirter, soon to be seen on CBS-TV's 'Wacko' show, is a nightclub natural. Her satirical take-offs on female stars are devastating, particularly lampooning a girl singer on the Ramada Inn circuit. Also hilarious is her version of Dolly Parton-type country singers. And – the comedienne writes most of her funny material.
Personal life
In April 1978, McWhirter married fellow performer Rick Dees, whom she had met the previous year, while working on the CBS children's series, Wacko. They have one child, a son.