Julia May Whelan (born May 8, 1984) is an American actress and author. She is best known for her role as Grace Manning on the television family drama series '' Once and Again'' (1999–2002), and her co-starring role in the 2002 Lifetime movie '' The Secret Life of Zoey''. A noted child actor, Whelan first appeared on screen at the age of 11, and continued to take television roles until her matriculation into

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

in 2004; Whelan graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

from Middlebury in 2008 after spending the 2006–2007 academic year as a visiting student at

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, situated on Turl Street in central Oxford. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming, the ...

. Whelan returned to

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

acting in November 2008 with a role in the

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

thriller '' Fading of the Cries''.

Early life

Julia May Whelan was born in

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

on May 8, 1984. Her father was a firefighter and her mother a teacher. Whelan first acted in community theater at the age of five, and yearly trips to the

Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and contemporary pla ...

Ashland, Oregon Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of the California border and near the south end of the Rogue Valley. The city's population was 21,360 at the 2020 cen ...

deepened her interest in an acting career. At age ten she began acting lessons with actor/screenwriter Geof Prysirr. Prysirr developed a close professional and personal relationship with Whelan, eventually becoming her guardian. Prysirr began escorting Whelan on trips to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, where she soon found professional success. Whelan moved to Los Angeles with Prysirr and his wife, ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'' actress Derya Ruggles, where the three took up residence in a two-bedroom apartment so that Whelan could advance her career. Whelan quickly began to win television roles, first appearing on screen in an April 8, 1996, episode of the drama series '' Nowhere Man''.

Early acting career

Whelan was first introduced to a broader audience in the 1998

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

Fifteen and Pregnant ''Fifteen and Pregnant'' is a 1998 American drama television film directed by Sam Pillsbury, written by Susan Cuscuna, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Park Overall, David Andrews, and Margot Demeter. Based on a true story, Dunst portrays a 15-year-o ...

'' as the younger sister of

Kirsten Dunst Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the short ''Oedipus Wrecks'' directed by Woody Allen in the anthology film '' New York Stories'' (1989). She then gained recognition for her ro ...

, who portrayed the movie's pregnant protagonist. In 1999 Whelan landed the role for which she is currently best known, playing insecure teenager Grace Manning on the family drama '' Once and Again''. The show cast

Sela Ward Sela Ann Ward (born July 11, 1956) is an American actress, author, and producer. Her breakthrough TV role was as Teddy Reed in the NBC drama series ''Sisters'' (1991–1996), for which she received her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding ...

and

Billy Campbell William Oliver Campbell (born July 7, 1959) is an American film and television actor. He first gained recognition for his recurring role as Luke Fuller in the TV series ''Dynasty''. Then he became known for playing Rick Sammler on '' Once and A ...

as single parents trying to nurture a romance and eventually build a

blended family A stepfamily is a family where at least one parent has children that are not biologically related to their spouse. Either parent, or both, may have children from previous relationships or marriages. Two known classifications for stepfamilies i ...

together. ''Once and Again'' was noted for the quality of its cast, particularly that of its younger cast members, who were noted for the sensitivity of their performances; the show featured them, giving them plot lines and screen time commensurate with those of the adult leads. Whelan,

Meredith Deane Meredith Deane (born August 9, 1989) is an American former child actress most known for her role as Zoe Manning in the TV show '' Once and Again''. She recently starred in the '' Law & Order'' episode "Profiteer" as Ashlee. Deane attended the Da ...

Shane West Shannon Bruce Snaith (born June 10, 1978), better known as Shane West, is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is known for his portrayal of Eli Sammler in the ABC family drama '' Once and Again'', Landon Carter in ''A Walk to Remember' ...

, and

Evan Rachel Wood Evan Rachel Wood (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress and activist. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations for her work ...

played the children of Ward and Campbell, respectively;

Mischa Barton Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born 24 January 1986) is a British-American film, television, and stage actress. She began her career on the stage, appearing in Tony Kushner's ''Slavs!'' and took the lead in James Lapine's '' Twelve Dreams'' at Ne ...

joined the show in its final season as Evan Rachel Wood's girlfriend. This lesbian storyline was dovetailed with an equally controversial plot involving Whelan's character in a doomed romance with her high school drama teacher "Mr. Dmitri", played by Eric Stoltz. Whelan, Deane, and Wood were recognized for their performances in April 2001, winning that year's

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

for Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Drama or Comedy); Whelan had been nominated on her own in March 2000 for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Supporting Young Actress. After ''Once and Again'' wrapped up its three-year run in 2002, Whelan moved on to other projects. She co-starred in the 2002

Lifetime Television Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. It features programming that is geared toward ...

movie, '' The Secret Life of Zoey,'' as a model student struggling with a prescription drug

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

. Notable cast included co-star

Mia Farrow Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...

portraying her mother, and

Andrew McCarthy Andrew Thomas McCarthy (born November 29, 1962) is an American actor, travel writer, and television director. He is most known as a member of the Brat Pack, with roles in 1980s films such as ''St. Elmo's Fire'', ''Pretty in Pink'', and '' Less ...

as her rehab counselor. The movie was promoted alongside Lifetime TV rebroadcasts of ''Once and Again''. Whelan continued to take television roles through 2004, when she enrolled in

. Whelan spent the 2006-2007 academic year as a visiting student at Lincoln College,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. She returned to Middlebury for her senior year, graduating

on May 25, 2008.

Filmography

Audiobook narration

Whelan has won acclaim for her narration of many audiobooks, including

Gillian Flynn Gillian Schieber Flynn (; born February 24, 1971) is an American author, screenwriter, and producer. She is known for writing the thriller and mystery novels, '' Sharp Objects'' (2006), '' Dark Places'' (2009), and '' Gone Girl'' (2012), which ar ...

's 2012 thriller '' Gone Girl'' (co-read with

Kirby Heyborne Kirby Heyborne (born October 8, 1976) is an American actor, musician, singer, songwriter, narrator and comedian. He is known for his work in films centered around the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Heybor ...

Tara Westover Tara Jane Westover (born September 27, 1986) is an American memoirist, essayist and historian. Her memoir '' Educated'' (2018) debuted at No. 1 on ''The New York Times'' bestseller list and was a finalist for a number of national awards, includin ...

's ''

Educated Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

,'' for which she won Best Female Narrator at the 2019

Audie Awards The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audiodrama performance, published in the United States of America. They ...

, and

Nora Roberts Nora Roberts (born Eleanor Marie Robertson on October 10, 1950) is an American author of more than 225 romance novels. She writes as J. D. Robb for the ''in Death'' series and has also written under the pseudonyms Jill March and for publication ...

' ''The Witness'', for which she won Best Romance at the 2013 awards. Whelan also narrated the award-winning novel ''

My Year of Rest and Relaxation ''My Year of Rest and Relaxation'' is a 2018 novel by American author Ottessa Moshfegh. Moshfegh's second novel, it is set in New York City in 2000 and 2001 and follows an unnamed protagonist as she gradually escalates her use of prescription medi ...

'' by

Ottessa Moshfegh Ottessa Charlotte Moshfegh (; born May 20, 1981) is an American author and novelist. Her debut novel, ''Eileen'' (2015), won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and was a fiction finalist for the National Boo ...

, the ''New York Times'' bestseller ''Evvie Drake Starts Over'' by

Linda Holmes Linda Holmes (born March 16, 1959) is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 42nd District since January 2007. The 42nd district includes all or parts of Aurora, Boulder Hill, Montgomery, Naperville, North Aurora and ...

, and her own novel, ''My Oxford Year''. Whelan also narrates long-form nonfiction journalism, including articles from

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

ProPublica ProPublica (), legally Pro Publica, Inc., is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. In 2010, it became the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize, for a piece written by one of its journalists''The Guardian'', April 13, 2010P ...

, and Vanity Fair.

Author

In 2018, Whelan published a novel, ''My Oxford Year'', which ''Entertainment Weekly'' called "a breathtakingly perfect picture of Oxford" and "a powerfully heartbreaking and life-affirming tribute to love and to choice". In 2022, she released her sophomore novel, '' Thank You for Listening''.

Awards and honors

''AudioFile'' has named Whelan a Golden Voice narrator.

Awards

{, class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" !Year !Title !Award !Result !Ref. , - !2013 , ''{The Witness'' by

Audie Award for Romance The Audie Award for Romance is one of the Audie Awards The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audiodrama perfo ...

, Winner , , - ! rowspan=4, 2015 , ''The Impossible Knife of Memory'' by

Laurie Halse Anderson Laurie Halse Anderson is an American writer, known for children's and young adult novels. She received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for her contribution to young adult literature. She was first re ...

, Audie Award for Teens , Finalist , , - , '' Love Letters to the Dead'' (2014) by Ava Dellaira ,

Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults The American Library Association's Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, formerly Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults, is a recommendation list of audiobooks presented yearly by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) division. The Y ...

, Top 10 , , - , ''The Sixteenth of June'' by Maya Lang ,

Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance The Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance, established in 1996, is one of the Audie Awards The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly ...

, Finalist , , - , ''Until the End of the World'' by Sarah Lyons Fleming , Audie Award for Solo Narration - Female , Finalist , , - !2017 , ''Traffick'' by

Ellen Hopkins Ellen Louise Hopkins (born March 26, 1955) is a novelist who has published several ''New York Times'' bestseller, bestselling novels that are popular among the teenage and young adult audience. Personal life Hopkins was adopted by Albert and Val ...

, Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , Top 10 , , - ! rowspan=2, 2018 , ''Good Behavior'' by

Blake Crouch William Blake Crouch (born October 15, 1978) is an American author best known for his '' Wayward Pines Trilogy'', which was adapted into the 2015 television series ''Wayward Pines''. Early life and education Crouch was born near the town of St ...

Audie Award for Short Stories or Collections The Audie Award for Short Stories or Collections is one of the Audie Awards presented annually by the Audio Publishers Association The Audio Publishers Association (APA) is the first and only not-for-profit trade organization of the audiobook indust ...

, Finalist , , - , '' The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo'' by

Taylor Jenkins Reid Taylor Jenkins Reid is an American author most known for her novels ''The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo'', '' Daisy Jones & The Six'', and '' Malibu Rising''. Career Reid graduated from Emerson College in Boston and majored in media studies. She ...

, Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance , Finalist , , - ! rowspan=5, 2019 , rowspan=3, ''

'' by

, Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , Top 10 , , - ,

Audie Award for Autobiography or Memoir The Audie Award for Autobiography or Memoir is one of the Audie Awards presented annually by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). It awards excellence in narration, production, and content for an audiobook autobiography or memoir A memoir (; ...

, Winner , , - ,

Audie Award for Best Female Narrator The Audie Award for Best Female Narrator is one of the Audie Awards presented annually by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). It awards excellence in audiobook narration Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a st ...

, Winner , , - , '' Far from the Tree'' (2012) ,

Audie Award for Young Adult Title The Audie Award for Young Adult Title is one of the Audie Awards presented annually by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). It awards excellence in narration, production, and content for a young adult A young adult is generally a person in ...

, Finalist , , - , ' (2018) by

Kristin Hannah Kristin Hannah (born September 25, 1960) is an American writer. Her most notable works include ''Winter Garden'', '' The Nightingale'', '' Firefly Lane'', '' The Great Alone'', and ''The Four Winds''. Biography Kristin Hannah was born in Califor ...

Audie Award for Fiction The Audie Award for Fiction is one of the Audie Awards presented annually by the Audio Publishers Association The Audio Publishers Association (APA) is the first and only not-for-profit trade organization of the audiobook industry in the United Stat ...

, Finalist , , - ! rowspan=4, 2020 , ''Birthday Suit'' by Lauren Blakely , Audie Award for Audio Drama , Finalist , , - , rowspan=2, '' Charlotte's Web'' (1952) by

E. B. White Elwyn Brooks White (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985) was an American writer. He was the author of several highly popular books for children, including ''Stuart Little'' (1945), ''Charlotte's Web'' (1952), and '' The Trumpet of the Swan'' ...

Audie Award for Middle Grade Title The Audie Award for Middle Grade Title is one of the Audie Awards The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audio ...

, Winner , , - , Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year , Finalist , , - , ''Evidence of the Affair'' by

, Audie Award for Short Stories or Collections , Finalist , , - !2021 , '' The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue'' (2020) by

V. E. Schwab Victoria Elizabeth (V. E.) Schwab (born July 7, 1987) is an American writer. She is known for the 2013 novel '' Vicious'', the '' Shades of Magic'' series, and '' The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue'', which was nominated for the 2020 Locus Award ...

Audie Award for Fantasy The Audie Award for Fantasy is one of the Audie Awards presented annually by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). It awards excellence in narration, production, and content for a fantasy audiobook released in a given year. It has been awarded s ...

, Finalist , , - ! rowspan=2, 2022 , rowspan=2, ''The Four Winds'' by

, Audie Award for Best Female Narrator , Finalist , , - , Audie Award for Fiction , Finalist ,

"Best of" lists

{, class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" !Year !Title !List !Ref. , - !2010 , ''

The Sky Is Everywhere ''The Sky Is Everywhere'' is a 2010 young adult fiction, young adult novel by Jandy Nelson as her debut novel. It tells the story of an American high school girl, Lennie Walker, struggling to cope with the sudden death of her older sister. Lenni ...

'' by

Jandy Nelson Jandy Nelson (born 1965) is an American author of young adult fiction. Prior to her career as an author, Nelson worked for 13 years as a literary agent at Manus & Associates Literary Agency. She holds a BA from Cornell University as well as seve ...

, rowspan=3, AudioFile Best Young Adult , , - ! rowspan=4, 2012 , ''The Grimm Legacy'' , , - , ''Magisterium'' , , - , ''The Sky Is Everywhere'' by Jandy Nelson , rowspan=2,

, , - , ''Zombies v. Unicorns'' edited by

Holly Black Holly Black (''née'' Riggenbach; born November 10, 1971) is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the ''New York Times'' bestselling young adult ''Folk of the Air'' series. ...

and

Justine Larbalestier Justine Larbalestier ( )' (born 23 September 1967) is an Australian writer of young adult fiction best known for her 2009 novel, '' Liar''. Personal life Larbalestier was born and raised in Sydney. She now alternates residence between Sydney ...

, , - ! rowspan=2, 2013 , ''In the After'' , AudioFile Best Young Adult , , - , ''The Witness'' by

, AudioFile Best Romantic Fiction , , - ! rowspan=5, 2014 , ''Flat-Out Love'' by Jessica Park , Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , , - , ''

I'll Give You the Sun ''I'll Give You the Sun'' is a young adult novel by author Jandy Nelson. Published in September 2014, it is Nelson's second novel. Nelson won several awards for this novel, including the 2015 Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature ...

'' by Jandy Nelson , rowspan=2, AudioFile Best Young Adult , , - , ''The Impossible Knife of Memory'' by

, , - , ''

Team Human ''Team Human'' is a young adult novel co-written by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan. It was published in 2012 by Allen and Unwin in Australia and by Harper Teen, a division of HarperCollins in the US. The book came out of the autho ...

'' by Justine Larbalesti &

Sarah Rees Brennan Sarah Rees Brennan (born 21 September 1983) is an Irish writer best known for young adult fantasy fiction. Her first novel, '' The Demon's Lexicon'', was released June 2009 by Simon & Schuster. Rees Brennan's books are bestsellers in the UK. Li ...

, Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , , - , ''We Are The Goldens'' , ''AudioFile Best Young Adult , , - ! rowspan=2, 2015 , ''The Impossible Knife of Memor'' by Laurie Halse Anderson , Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , , - , ''Princess of Thorns'' , rowspan=2, AudioFile' Best Young Adult , , - ! rowspan=2, 2016 , ''Girl In Pieces'' , , - , ''Slasher Girls and Monster Boys'' by

April Genevieve Tucholke April Genevieve Tucholke ( ) is an American author based in Georgia. She is best known for the Gothic horror novel ''Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea'' and its sequel '' Between the Spark and the Burn'', as well as a dark young adult myst ...

, Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , , - ! rowspan=2, 2017 , ''Flying Lessons and Other Stories'' , AudioFile Best Children & Family Listening , , - , ''Highly Illogical Behavior'' by John Corey Whaley , Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , , - ! rowspan=3, 2018 , ''

'' by

, AudioFile' Best Memoir , , - , ''A Million Junes'' by

Emily Henry Emily Henry is an American author who is best known for her ''New York Times'' bestselling romance novels ''Beach Read'', '' People We Meet on Vacation'', '' Book Lovers'', and '' Happy Place''. Biography Henry attended high school in Cincinnati ...

, Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , , - , ''The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine'' by

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

and others , Notable Children's Recordings , , - ! rowspan=3, 2019 , ''Daisy Jones & The Six'' , AudioFile Best Fiction, Poetry, & Drama , , - , ''Educated (book), Educated'' by Tara Westover , RUSA Listen List , , - , ''A Heart in a Body in the World'' by

Deb Caletti Deb Caletti (born June 16, 1963) is an American writer of young adult and adult fiction. Caletti is a National Book Award finalist, and a Michael L. Printz Honor Book medalist, as well as the recipient of other numerous awards including thPEN US ...

, Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults , , - !2021 , '' People We Meet On Vacation'' (2020) by Emily Henry , AudioFile Best Romance , , - !2022 , ''The Cousins'' by Karen M. McManus , Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults ,

References

External links

*
Prominent unofficial Julia Whelan website -- multimedia, links, biographyDescription of character "Grace Manning" at www.oandafans.com
*[http://www.cinemotions.net/data/films/0216/81/2/photo-La-Vie-secrete-de-Zoe-The-Secret-Life-of-Zoey-2002-1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.celebrityseek.net/julia-whelan/2470/summary.html&usg=__pSDF7ZJ8y73kNlYjHr2jnTT_LSU=&h=297&w=283&sz=13&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=DWF-WWGL5uX1VM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3DJulia%2Bwhelan%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1T4ADBF_en-GBGB229GB229%26sa%3DX Julia Whelan Photos and Videos]
Online description of Fading of the Cries
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Julia American television actresses Living people 1984 births Middlebury College alumni Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford American child actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Oregon American voice actresses Audiobook narrators