Julie was born and grew up in Accrington, Lancashire. She trained at LAMDA and set up Arts Threshold Theatre in the early 90s. She co-runs Take Back Theatre Collective in Manchester. Her Working Diary was published in 2019.

Theatre includes: The Greatest Play in the History of the World; Mother Courage and Her Children, Royal Exchange; The Report, Royal Court; The Almighty Sometimes; Wit (winner of Best Female Performer 2017 MTAs); Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster (winner Best Studio Performance 2012, MTAs); Blindsided: all at Manchester Royal Exchange; There Are No Beginnings (Leeds Playhouse); God Bless the Child, Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.

TV includes: The Pact; The A Word 3; The Trouble with Maggie Cole; Dr Who; Catastrophe; Broadchurch (BAFTA-nomination for Best Supporting Actress); Happy Valley; Black Roses (BBC4) (Royal Television Society Best Actress 2014); Moving On; Inside No 9; Cucumber; Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street 1998-2014 (National TV Award 2014, Royal Television Society Award 2013).

Film includes: Mike Leigh’s Peterloo; Pond Life, Help, The Outing, What Would Julie Do?, Closets.

Julie is also a regular voice on BBC Radio 4 (including in two series of Trust by Jonathan Hall!)