Julie Michaels is one of the many women who believe that their gender cannot be a limiting factor when it comes to achieving their goals. The American actress and stunt performer has been able to create a niche for herself using her refined and remarkable theatre experience. You obviously cannot talk about films like Desperate Housewives, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and The Scorpion King, without giving a mention to the unique roles portrayed by the classic actress.
Although Julie Michaels’ name might not ring a bell like many others in Hollywood, her work as not just an actress but a casting agent, producer, and stunt performer, can never go unnoticed. Her childhood motto, “never think you can’t do something because you’re a girl,” seems to have played a significant role in her rise to fame.
How Julie Michaels Went From Pageant Queen to Actress and Stunt Woman
Ms. Michaels was born into an Air Force family on July 20, 1970. She grew up with her family in the northwest of the United States of America and attended the University of Washington where she was an NCAA gymnast.
While growing up, Julie was known for being very athletic even though she ended up becoming a two-title winner of the Miss America Pageant. She later studied martial arts under the famous American kickboxer, martial artist, and self-bestowed Sensei, Benny Urquidez, after which she traveled to Asia to perfect her skills.
When she was 16 years old, she was a part of the Huskies NCAA Division-I Gymnastics Team, which proved to be a good foundation for her as she later transitioned to have a career as a stuntwoman in the film industry.
She Has Appeared in More Than 45 Movies and TV Shows
Julie Michaels’ acting career began in 1989 after she was discovered by producer Joel Silver who offered her a role as a seductress in the action film, Road House, which starred Patrick Swayze as a bouncer. Her second appearance then came in the 1991 buddy-cop action thriller film, Point Break, which also had great actors like Anthony Kiedis and Keanu Reeves. The fight scene she shared with Keanu in the movie inspired The New York Times to nickname her “The babe who nuked Keanu”.
Julie has since the early 90s worked as a professional stunt performer or coordinator while also maintaining her career as an actress. What is said to interest her the most about being a stunt performer is the way the performers work as a team to make something extraordinary while keeping everybody safe although she has sustained some injuries while performing stunts.
Regardless of this, she has never turned her back on her beloved profession. Some of the notable appearances she has made as a stuntwoman were as a stand-in for Pamela Anderson in the 1996 movie Barb Wire and the 1998-1999 TV series, VIP.
As a stunt coordinator, she has worked on projects like Rush Hour 3, The Newsroom, Numb3rs, How to Get Away with Murder, Jane the Virgin, Big Shot, Hombre, Diary of a Future President, Nashville, and many more. So far, she has performed as either stuntwoman or stunt coordinator in more than 85 movies and TV shows.
As an actress, Julie Michaels has more than 45 credits on both the big and small screen. They include Weeds, Southland, Last Writes, SEAL Team, Chick Fight, The Legends of Nethiah, Desperate Housewives, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and In Justice. She is also a producer via her production company, JMP Productions, which has produced projects like Wake Up and Write, After Forever, and The Biggest Elephant.
Her Career Has Earned Her a Considerable Net Worth
Julie Michaels has a stacked resume that cuts across acting, stunt work, and production. Through these roles, she has been able to amass a significant amount of wealth that is currently estimated at $1 million. She reportedly takes home about $50 thousand per movie. An accumulation of these earnings over more than two decades in the industry has made her financially comfortable.
Aside from the financial success of her career, Julie has also received some awards from a variety of award-giving bodies for her performances. She has award wins from the Action Icon Awards, Global Shorts, One-Reeler Short Film Competition Awards, and United International Film Festival. She also has two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for Outstanding Stunt Coordination in the TV show for SEAL Team and Shameless, and a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a TV series from the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Southland.
See Also: Who Exactly Is Maggie Geha And Why Did She Leave Gotham?
What We Know About Julie Michaels’ Marriage to Peewee Piemonte
The 5 feet 5 inches tall actress is a married woman. She is happily married to Peewee Piemonte who is also a stunt professional. The two met for the first time on the set of the 1993 American slasher film, Jason Goes to Hell, before exchanging marital vows that same year and launching a working relationship that has lasted to date.
Although Peewee Piemonte has been in the industry almost as long as Julie Michaels, there is still very little public information about him. So far, we know that aside from being a stuntman and stunt coordinator, he is also a director and 2nd unit director. We also know that he is represented by the talent agency, Agency for the Performing Arts (APA).
Like his wife, Peewee has received a number of awards, most notably two Primetime Emmy Awards. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner for stunt coordination for two episodes of Southland. Other projects he has worked on include Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Defenders, Men of a Certain Age, and God Bless America.
As of 2020, Julie Michaels’ husband has more than 295 credits across movies and TV shows. Together, the couple are co-owners of the production company, JMP Productions. So far, that appears to be the only thing they have created as there is currently no evidence to suggest that the couple has any children.
