Recently I met with Julie Berman, the very glowing and happily married 24 year old that many of you know from General Hospital. We met at Red Sky Lounge while she and her husband were in Boston for a fan event along with Bradford, Brandon, Caroline Hennessey, and Jason Thompson.
Julie started acting at age six in commercials, and realized that she had a talent that made her �different from other kids� she was able to do something that other kids couldn�t, and that fact made her enjoy her new passion even more. However, as she approached college Julie knew she wanted a program that would allow her the skill set and resources to create her own projects as well as having more influence over her career. She selected USC�s cinema-television program, for it is a well-known program.
Julie also received many additional benefits from going to college outside of the classroom like the social skills, networking, resources and opportunity to mature needed in her industry. Julie strongly encourages her fans to find a program that inspires them, while helping them receive an opportunity to grow intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally.
During her senior year at USC, she received the amazing opportunity to play Leslie Lu Spencer aka Lulu, daughter of original soap super couple Luke & Laura, on General Hospital. One of the challenges that Berman appreciates about her role on General Hospital is that the medium of daytime television is constantly challenging itself in finding a way to make the fictional seem realistic. The award winning writing and directing staff at General Hospital provide Berman with the opportunity to be a part of storylines that challenge, drive and motivate her as an actress. They provide her with material that allows a storyline to stay fresh and interesting instead of becoming stagnant, which viewers and actors alike do not enjoy.
Another benefit to working on General Hospital is the fact that she gets to work with an amazing and award winning cast. This group of young and upcoming actors and actress comprise her on and off set friends creating an atmosphere that is comfortable, friendly and encouraging. One of her closets onset friends is Kristen Storms, who portrays Maxie Scorpio. Julie and Kristen have an onscreen feud leaving them to work on making the feud more �real� when it becomes tiresome. However, when they try to amp up the feud, it comes off as funny, which shows the two�s off screen closeness. Julie was able to share that the two characters will start to realize that they are similar in a lot of their beliefs and that they are growing up and finding their own lives.
With her role of Lulu Spencer, Berman has been blessed with some amazing storylines over the 3 years that she�s been with General Hospital, which have earned her a nomination for a Daytime Emmy. While Berman didn�t win in her category she says that �it was an amazing opportunity to be nominated and recognized for my work.�
Berman is extremely lucky because the cast and crew have been wonderful about involving her new husband, Michael Grady. The couple met in January 2nd 2004 in Lake Tahoe, when Berman and group of girls were there for some R&R, while Grady was there for the same reason with a group of his friends. Turns out the two had some mutual friends, and before long they were all hanging out with Berman immediately taking to Grady and in May of 2007 the couple were engaged in London. While the fans would love to know the details to the engagement and how Grady proposed, Berman & Grady have asked that they keep that as their private moment. However, they gladly shared the details for their August 15th, 2008 wedding, which will be featured in an upcoming issue of Instyle Wedding.
The couple hired boutique-wedding coordinator Kelly Michelle Weddings, who had coordinated Berman�s brother�s wedding, to which she refers as �the best wedding I�d ever been to, well besides ours.� Kelly Michelle was wonderful in helping to create an amazingly well run, smooth and effortless special day. She took care of not only the big items such as vendors to use for various things, but also the little things that came up right before which the couple and bridal party didn�t have time to deal with. But the best part was that Kelly Michelle didn�t impose her opinions and tastes on the couple and let them create vision, concept and ideas for their big day.
As the newly weds spoke with me, they shared with me the reasons as to why they chose the Chapel at Loyola Marymount, they wanted a small intimate location, with religious connections for both of them [as it was a Roman Catholic service] and many of the other chapels and cathedrals in Los Angeles entertained tens of thousands instead of a small intimate setting like the couple had wanted, and it also just happened to be Grady�s alma mater.
I was then told the most important details that all girls dream about; the dress, jewelry and shoes. Berman, along with her maid of honor, had looked at a few dresses but were left underwhelmed. Then Julie signed up for the Monique lhuillier spring trunk show that was scheduled for October of 2007, almost a year before the wedding. Julie was hesitant about finding something there, as she would need to purchase that day and after a few fittings the dress would be delivered just before the wedding, which meant that if something else came along, she would already have a dress. Luckily for Berman she walked in and found her dress, it was the first one she tried on and she fell in love. She immediately called her dad, who was on his way to a hockey game, and he made a detour to see his daughter in her dress. Berman was sold on the dress, but when her dad walked in and said that she �looked like her mother� she knew that was �the dress�. Next was the jewelry for which she went to Erika Courtney Jewelry. The company was amazing enough to loan Berman and bridal party unique one of a kind pieces for the big day. While Berman�s bridesmaids all wore the same dress, with the jewelry Berman & Erika Courtney allowed each bridesmaid to choose their own pieces that spoke to their own individual tastes. Then there were the shoes, to which Berman excitedly says, �They were my first pair of Jimmy Choo�s!� **
Berman is excited for their upcoming trip to Walt Disney World for the last installment of ABC�s Super Soap Weekend. Berman is sad for the final year, considering she and Grady have gone for the last two years, �so many great memories with fans, friends and your get to go on a ride here and there, what�s not to like?� says Berman, to which Grady ads �it is the happiest place on earth.� Berman is excited for the coming year, as it is still under wraps, but it has the fans in mind. �Whatever it will be, it will be best that it can be, everything is for the fans.�
Berman wanted to take a moment and thank her amazing fans for their support not only for her character, her external projects, but also the onscreen relationship between her character and Brandon Barash�s Johnny, �I have the most amazing fans, I am so thankful for them and their support.� Her fans are what make her excited about going to work, traveling to get to meet them, and see how her passion has inspired them.

**For more information and pictures from their wedding please check out the Spring 2009 issue of InStyle Weddings that will be available on newstands March 6, 2009.

Interviewed by Lecinda Bennett in Boston, MA in Sept of 2008.