Julie Newmar,
star of stage,
screen and
television, comes by
her love of
performing naturally
as the daughter of a
Ziegfeld Follies
performer. Julie was
a prima ballerina
with the Los Angeles
Opera Company before
becoming a staff
choreographer at
Universal Studios
and made her big
screen debut in the
1952 Bing Crosby
musical Just For
You. Julie
appeared in the
Broadway and film
productions of Li’l
Abner (1956 and ‘59)
and The
Marriage-Go-Round
(1958 and ‘60); won
a Tony Award for
Best Supporting
Actress for The
Marriage-Go-Round.
She also had
her legs insured for
$1 million and in
1995 made an
appearance in the
comedy To Wong Foo,
Thanks for
Everything! Julie
Newmar. In the
most important role
of a lifetime, Julie
is caregiver to her
son John, living
with Down syndrome,
and recently made
public her own
diagnosis with
Charcot-Marie-Tooth
disease. Julie sat
down with
Editor-in-Chief Gary
Barg to discuss her
career, caregiving
and philosophy of
life.
Gary
Barg:
You are a wonderful
caregiver for your
son, John. Can you
tell me a little
about it?
Julie Newmar:
It is easy; it is
natural.
Gary Barg:
How is he doing?
Julie Newmar:
Oh, beautifully.
He is so healthy.
I mean, what a joy!
Gary Barg:
That is terrific.
Julie Newmar:
I guess we are doing
a few things right,
like his nutrition
and the atmosphere
in which he lives. I
do not know who is
doing the
caregiving. I think
he is the one who is
healing me.
Gary Barg:
I know he has Down
syndrome.
Julie Newmar:
He has had a couple
of things. He
has scoliosis, he
has seizures, he was
deaf at the age of
two. He had
meningitis.
Gary Barg:
You have such a
terrific and
communicative
relationship with
your son.
Julie Newmar:
You know, he
does not speak.
He cannot tell me
how he feels.
He does not use sign
language. I
use sign language
with him, but you
transcend that.
You can read anyone
that you love; read
them, just as they
read you.
Gary Barg:
That is what I mean
by communicating;
you two have a
special language.
Julie
Newmar:
Yes. I never
feel there is
anything lacking
about him.
