Julia Stewart (actress)

Julia Stewart (June 1862 – 24 January 1949) was an English actress. Beginning her career as a child actress, she went on to success on the London stage in adult roles the 1870s. She then travelled to the U.S. and eventually became a silent film actress.

Stewart was born in London. Her father was a well-known Scottish comedian, David ("auld Davie") Stewart. She began performing as a child actress at the Glasgow Theatre in 1868, in the juvenile role of Sybil in A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. She performed until 1876 at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow, and in Newcastle-on-Tyne, in both girls' and boys' roles. She then became a member of Sarah Thorne's theatre company, playing adult parts, first as Emma Marigold in My Awful Dad, opposite Charles Mathews.

In 1877, at the age of 15, she made her London début, creating the role of Maggie Macfarlane in W. S. Gilbert's comedy, Engaged, at the Haymarket Theatre with much success. She also played the part in a provincial tour and again in the play's revival at the Strand Theatre in 1878. The Era reported: "A decidedly favourable impression was made by Miss Julia Stewart, who ... bewitched all present by her pretty face, her artless, winning style, her dainty treatment of the Scotch dialect, and the thorough freshness and naturalness of her acting throughout. This was one of the pleasantest performances we have seen for many a day". She then returned to the Haymarket as Mary Meredith in a revival Our American Cousin with E. A. Sothern, taking the same part on tour after the London run. During the tour, she also played Ada Ingot in David Garrick, earning good reviews.

In 1879, Sothern took the 17-year-old Stewart with him to America to appear at the Park Theatre in Brother Sam.

Stewart later made around 70 silent movies between 1911 and 1920 and died in the Bronx, New York, on 24 January 1949.