Julia Sweeney
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Born	October 10, 1959 (1959-10-10) (age 47) Spokane, Washington
Medium	actress
Nationality	American

Julia Sweeney (born October 10, 1959 in Spokane, Washington) is an American actress and comedian who lives in Hollywood, California. She is best known for her roles on Saturday Night Live, especially as the androgynous character "Pat." She is also well known for her critically acclaimed 1996 one-woman monologue, God Said, Ha! in which she addressed her experience of surviving cancer. A film version of the show was released in 1998. More recently, she has consulted on the shows Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, has appeared as a guest star in several TV shows, and has written and performed two other monologues, In the Family Way and Letting Go of God, the latter explaining her conversion to atheism. Image File history File links Image created myself as no image available File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location of Spokane in Spokane County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County Spokane Government  - Mayor Dennis P. Hession Area  - City  58. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location of Spokane in Spokane County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County Spokane Government  - Mayor Dennis P. Hession Area  - City  58. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 91-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City that has been broadcast live by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... Pat was an androgynous fictional character created and performed by Julia Sweeney for the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Sex and the City is a popular American cable television program. ... Desperate Housewives is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American television comedy-drama series, created by Marc Cherry, that began airing on October 3, 2004 on ABC. It is the most popular show in its demographic worldwide, with an audience of approximately 119 million viewers. ... “Atheist” redirects here. ...

Biography

She is the daughter of Robert M. Sweeney (who made an appearance in her movie It's Pat as a priest) and Geri Sweeney. The oldest in a family of five children raised in Spokane, Washington, Sweeney quickly found a talent for imitating voices and characters. Despite successful appearances in high school plays, she decided to put acting aside while she pursued her economic studies at the University of Washington. Pat was a fictional character created and performed by actress and comedienne Julia Sweeney for the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. ... . ... Nickname: Location of Spokane in Spokane County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County Spokane Government  - Mayor Dennis P. Hession Area  - City  58. ... The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. ...

After graduation, Sweeney headed south to Los Angeles to work as an accountant for Columbia Pictures. The job did not materialize, and on the radio show This American Life, she describes supporting herself by working as an assistant bartender and embezzling thousands from her employer, mostly by selling drinks and not passing on the cash payments she received.^[1] While in Los Angeles, she decided on a whim to sign up for classes with the improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings. It only took one class to convince her that acting was her true calling. Steadily auditioning, she continued to develop her characters with the troupe such as "Mea," the character that inspired the play Mea's Big Apology, which won the Best Written Play Award from ''L.A. Weekly'' in 1988 and has been developed by Sweeney into a screenplay, and "Pat," an androgynous person whose gender mystified others. At a Groundlings performance, she was discovered by Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels and tapped for the late-night show, with which she stayed for four seasons. Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ... This American Life (TAL) is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by Chicago Public Radio. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Pat was an androgynous fictional character created and performed by Julia Sweeney for the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 91-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City that has been broadcast live by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... Lorne Michaels (born Lorne Michael Lipowitz on November 17, 1944) is an Emmy-winning Canadian-born television producer, writer and comedian best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it. ...

Sweeney spun one of her most popular characters into the feature film It's Pat, and after leaving Saturday Night Live, moved back to Los Angeles. The film was a flop at the box office, but still has a cult following. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Within a matter of months, after moving back to L.A., Sweeney's brother was diagnosed with cancer, and so was she. Her experiences led her to write and star in God Said, Ha!, developed at LA's alternative comedy show, "Un-Cabaret". Miramax released the film version of the show in 1998, produced by Quentin Tarantino. The film version of the play earned the Golden Space Needle Award, while Sweeney's recording earned her a Grammy nomination for best comedy album. It was released on DVD in 2003. Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Un-Cabaret is a Los Angeles based alternative comedy organization that produces live, TV and multi-media projects, workshops and events. ... Miramax is a Big Ten film distribution and production company. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Quentin Jerome Tarantino (born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, actor, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. ... The Golden Space Needle is an audience-chosen award, given out to the most popular movie during the Seattle International Film Festival. ...

Film and stage roles

Sweeney has also appeared on the big screen in Pulp Fiction, Clockstoppers, Whatever It Takes, and Stuart Little. A veteran of live television, Sweeney made her mark on primetime television as a series regular on George & Leo and Maybe It's Me and she guest starred on 3rd Rock from the Sun, Hope & Gloria, Mad About You, and According to Jim. In 2004, Sweeney co-starred in two episodes of Frasier and had a guest part on Sex and the City. She served as a consultant on Sex and the City for its last three seasons. She also consulted briefly on Desperate Housewives season two. Pulp Fiction is an Academy Award-winning 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote the screenplay with Roger Avary. ... Clockstoppers is a 2002 film produced by Nickelodeon Movies and released by Paramount Pictures. ... Whatever It Takes is a 2000 teen comedy starring Marla Sokoloff, Shane West, Jodi Lyn OKeefe, and James Franco. ... Published in 1945, Stuart Little was E. B. Whites first childrens story. ... Maybe Its Me was an American television comedy that aired on The WB Television Network for one season. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hope and Gloria is an American sitcom that aired on the NBC network over parts of two seasons throughout 1995 to 1996. ... Mad About You was an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. ... According to Jim is an American situation comedy television series broadcast by ABC. The show premiered with little publicity in October, 2001, following the surprise hit comedy My Wife and Kids. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Frasier is a popular American situation comedy television series that starred Kelsey Grammer, reprising the character of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane from parent show Cheers, which had ended months before. ... Sex and the City is a popular American cable television program. ... Desperate Housewives is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American television comedy-drama series, created by Marc Cherry, that began airing on October 3, 2004 on ABC. It is the most popular show in its demographic worldwide, with an audience of approximately 119 million viewers. ...

Among Sweeney's more recent stage work is the one-woman show In the Family Way, which started on stage in NYC in early 2003 at the Ars Nova Theatre, and has since migrated to the Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles. In the Family Way chronicles the adoption of her daughter, Tara Mulan Sweeney, from China, which she is adapting as a pilot for Warner Bros. New York, New York redirects here. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sweeney's 1993 impression of Chelsea Clinton caused somewhat of a stir when Hillary Clinton found it offensive and sent an angry letter to Studio 8H. Sweeney was a featured player on SNL from 1990-91 and a cast member from then until 1994. Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... In the White House: Chelsea (lower right), together with her parents, Bill and Hillary Clinton. ... Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947), was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

Sweeney recently filmed her one-woman show Letting Go of God? and is in post-production with a possible Winter 2007 release date.

Atheism

Sweeney is an atheist, something she brought to light in a one-woman show entitled Letting Go of God. In it, she discusses her Catholic upbringing, early religious ideology, and the life events and internal search that led her to believe that the universe can function on its own without a deity to preside over it. For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

She began performing the show live in Los Angeles. In May 2006, she performed the piece in Austin, Texas, at The Paramount Theatre. The Austin show was followed by a half-hour discussion between Sweeney and Ira Glass (host of This American Life). An excerpt of the show subsequently appeared on This American Life in an episode entitled Godless America. Letting Go of God was released on CD in 2006. Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Travis County, Williamson County Government  - Mayor Will Wynn Area  - City  296. ... The Paramount Theatre is a live theatre venue/movie theatre located in downtown Austin, Texas, built in 1915. ... Ira Glass (born March 3, 1959) is an American public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life. ... This American Life (TAL) is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by Chicago Public Radio. ...

In 2006, Sweeney was awarded the Richard Dawkins Award and the American Humanist Association's "Humanist Pioneer" award, and joined the advisory board of the Secular Coalition for America. She also does commercials for the Freedom From Religion Foundation on Air America Radio. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Richard Dawkins Award is a prize awarded annually to a person (or persons) for their outstanding work in the promotion of atheism. ... The American Humanist Association (AHA) is an educational organization in the United States that advances Humanism. ... Logo of the Secular Coalition for America The Secular Coalition for America is a lobbying group representing atheists, secular humanists, and freethinkers in American politics. ... The Freedom From Religion Foundation is an American Freethought organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. ... Air America Radio is a liberal talk radio network and program syndication service in the United States. ...

References

1. ^ This American Life: Allure of Crime, July 23, 1999

External links

• Official website
• Julia Sweeney's Blog
• Julia Sweeney's Forum
• Julia Sweeney at the Internet Movie Database
• Julia Sweeney at the Notable Names Database
• From Letting Go of God
• Julia Sweeney's 17 min Talk at TED Conference (Feb. 2006) Monterey, CA
• Julia Sweeney's foreword to The Reason Driven Life by Robert M. Price
• Saturday Night Live's Julia Sweeney interview from NPR