Julie Strain

Julie Ann Strain (February 18, 1962 – January 10, 2021) was an American actress^[1] and model. She was chosen by Penthouse as Pet of the Month in June 1991 and Pet of the Year in 1993. Her biggest mainstream acting role was Julie, the protagonist in Heavy Metal 2000.

Early life

Julie Ann Strain was born in Concord, California on February 18, 1962.^[1] A graduate of Diablo Valley College,^{[citation needed]} she had an extensive athletic background. She later moved to Las Vegas and later Hollywood, California.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Julie Strain was Penthouse Pet of the Month for June 1991 and Penthouse Pet of the Year for 1993.^[2]

With over 100 films to her credit,^{[citation needed]} Strain was nicknamed the "Queen of B-movies". She modelled for many comic book artists, including Simon Bisley, Milo Manara, and Kevin Eastman, whom she would later marry. Her likeness was also used in animation. She provided the voice for the main character in the animated film Heavy Metal 2000, and was the basis for the third-person shooter video game Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2. She was a frequent guest panelist at comic book conventions like San Diego Comic-Con.^[3]

Strain was one of the main subjects and was interviewed for the documentaries Some Nudity Required (1998) and Something to Scream About (2004). Her sister, Lizzy Strain, was interviewed for the latter as well, but did not make the final cut. As a favor to Julie, Lizzy's interview was included as a Bonus Feature on the DVD release.

In 1997, Heavy Metal published Strain's autobiography, Six Foot One and Worth the Climb. It was heavily illustrated with stills from her film and modelling career, plus paintings by Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell and Olivia De Berardinis.^[4]

Personal life and death

Strain was 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall.^[1] From 1995 to 2006, she was married to Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman co-starred in several of Strain's films such as Day of the Warrior and L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Return to Savage Beach.

In her 20s, Strain fell off a horse where she suffered severe back and head trauma; the latter led to her development of retrograde amnesia.^[3][5] By November 2018, her boyfriend Dave Gram announced that she was in the late stages of dementia, believed to be a result of the fall, and she was receiving hospice care at home.^[6]

In January 2020, Malibu Bay Films, a studio which Strain worked with frequently, incorrectly reported that she had died, but then quickly retracted their statement after it established the news had been an error.^[7] Strain actually died on January 10, 2021, at age 58.^[8][9]

Partial filmography

References

1. ^ "Julie Strain". Internet Adult Film Database. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
2. ^ Victoria Zdrok (January 8, 2008), Dr. Z on Scoring: How to Pick Up, Seduce and Hook Up with Hot Women, Touchstone, p. 10, ISBN 978-1-4165-6463-8, retrieved May 2, 2013
3. ^ Johnston, Rich (January 13, 2021). "Julie Strain, Heavy Metal Queen of B-Movies, Has Died". Bleeding Cool. Archived January 13, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
4. ^ Strain, Julie & Eastman, Kevin B. (2001). Julie Strain: Six Foot One and Worth the Climb. Rockville Centre, NY: Heavy Metal. ISBN 1-8829-3133-5.
5. ^ Lemons, Stephen (May 11, 2000). "Julie Strain: Ultravixen". Salon.com. Retrieved February 2, 2016. Then a freak horse-riding accident almost snapped her neck, leaving her with a broken arm and ankle and a severe case of amnesia.
6. ^ Johnston, Rich (November 27, 2018). "Julie Strain's Health Worsens, Tributes Paid". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
7. ^ Boucher, Geoff (January 13, 2020). "Julie Strain Update: Actress Is Not Dead, Film Company Now Says". Deadline. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
8. ^ Hamman, Cody (January 11, 2021). "R.I.P.: Julie Strain, B-Movie Legend and Penthouse Pet, Has Died At Age 58". joblo.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
9. ^ "'Heavy Metal Magazine' Model Julie Strain Dead at 58". wearethepit.com. January 11, 2021. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.