NOTE: If you're wondering where all the Playboy pictures are, here's what happened to them.

The thing that struck me about Julie McCullough when first saw her and worshipped her back when I was in high school was that there was something appealingly ... Tolkienesque about her. A former Playboy model who went on to try her luck in Hollywood (Big Bad Mama II, Round Trip to Heaven), Julie finally managed to land a “respectable”, regular role in Growing Pains. Unfortunately, Kirk Cameron and his mom/manager — both of them born-again Christians — objected to having a former Playmate on the show (and the fact that Playboy promptly publicized Julie's new acting gig with a recycled nude pictorial only aggravated the situation), and very soon the spritely actress found herself written off the show. Later at 29 she was a regular on the disastrous Aaron Spelling production Robin's Hoods. Finding her on celluoid since then has been no easy thing.

But not in cyberspace. For someone who's not been the in the public eye very long or very recently, she did enjoy at least one hardcore fan site that was a lot more in touch with her goings on than her own (now defunct) home page ever was. But more than that, eventually I was contacted by her.

Yes, that dreaded celebrity encounter that David Spade would mention when asked about the flak he got for the “Hollywood Minute” bit he did on Saturday Night Live (“Look, everyone — a falling star! Make a wish!” he said of Eddie Murphy, who then bit his head off in an irate phone call) had now come for me: For years this page had said that by the time Julie had done Robin's Hoods she was looking “old and used up”, that “time had not been her friend”. I based that observation on the way she looked on the series and on a later appearance on some E! show, and while it's been years since I've seen these appearances, I stand by that observation (although recently I acquired some vidcaps from the show where she doesn't look bad at all). Julie, of course, was none too delighted with my remarks, and invited me to have a look at her at an autograph signing in October of 1999 to see if I still feel she looks like the road miles have been taking their toll on her. But as much as I like her, I didn't go — I felt a little like David Spade getting invited to Bubble Hill to listen to Eddie's music — but I can guess what would've happened if I did: even if she looked absolutely hideous, as long as she wasn't overtly hostile I doubt I would've have the heart to post anything less than glowing here.

On the other hand, Julie did raise a good point: Picture #56 in the archive here was taken when she was nearly 33 — well after the Robin's Hoods fiasco. If I don't think she looks bad in that picture, she asked, how can I still say she looks “old and used up”?

Hmm. Touché.

OK, so maybe she didn't come off so well in the Spelling series but, with the right make up job, looks as fresh and employable as ever. Who knows? Certainly this happened to Connie Sellecca (also slated to someday appear on The Iconophile), who I thought looked great on The Greatest American Hero (where I first saw her), horrible on Hotel (another Spelling production), but great again in various magazines.

So there it is. My bad.

I dimly remember that the other fan site I mentioned used to urge the Julie faithful to email me and make a case for replacing my comments with something a little less curmudgeonly. I don't know if they came from that site or not, but God knows I got a lot of persistent email howling for a complete retraction or my head on a pike. How could I describe her like that without having ever seen her in person? they asked. If I could just see her close up, surely I would realize that I had been wrong about her lo these many years. In the end, though, the only one with a convincing argument for a change of tune was Julie herself — and I still haven't seen her in person.

Also sprach Golem.

Film

• West From North Goes South (2004) .... Dream girl
• Intrepid (2000; aka “Deep Water”) .... Cruise Director Shannon
• Me and Will (1999) .... Stacey
• 20 Dates (1998)
• Top of the World (1997)
• The St. Tammany Miracle (1994)
• The Baby Doll Murders (1992) .... Betty
• Round Trip to Heaven (1992) .... Lucille
• The Blob (1988) .... Susie
• Big Bad Mama II (1987) .... Polly McClatchie

• Breast Men (1997; HBO) .... 1970's Head Receptionist

• Weakest Link: “Playboy Playmates Edition” (Apr 7, 2002) .... Herself
• Relic Hunter: “A Vanishing Art” (Mar 6, 2000) .... Erica, The Erotic
• Pacific Blue: “Reckoning” (Jul 18, 1999) .... Carol Best
• Pacific Blue: “The Right Thing” (Apr 25, 1999) .... Carol Best
• High Tide: “A Stitch in Time” (May 11, 1997) .... Meg Kelsey
• High Tide: “Goodbye, Mr. Chip” (Oct 20, 1996) .... Meg Kelsey
• The Drew Carey Show (1996) .... Amorous Neighbor
• The Drew Carey Show: “Drew Meets Lawyers” (Nov 1, 1995) .... Peaches
• The Drew Carey Show: “Miss Right” (Sep 20, 1995) .... Peaches
• Robin's Hoods (1994-95) .... Stacey Wright
• Harry and the Hendersons: “Love Mask” (Jan 12, 1992) .... Uma
• Beverly Hills 90210 (1992) .... Trina
• Candid Camera: Smile, You're On Vacation! (1992) .... co-host
• Jake and the Fatman: “It's a Sin to Tell a Lie” (May 1, 1991) .... Darcy
• Beverly Hills, 90210: “Slumber Party” (Jan 31, 1991) .... Trena
• The Golden Girls: “Mary Has a Little Lamb” (Jan 5, 1990) .... Mary
• Growing Pains (1989-90) .... Julie Costello
• Superboy: “A Kind of Princess” (Oct 15, 1988) .... Sara Danner
• Max Headroom (Apr 28, 1988)
• 1st & Ten (Nov 4, 1987)
• Who's the Boss?: “The Way We Was” (Jan 6, 1987) .... Beautiful Girl

• Playboy Video Centerfold: Peggy McIntaggart (1989) .... Playmate
• Playboy Video Calendar 1988 (1987) .... Playmate
• Playboy Video Calendar 1987 (1986) .... Playmate

Cyber Temples

• Julie McCullough Nude Celebrity Movie Reviews
  Mr. Skin
  Bio, filmography, and nude stills from her films
• Julie McCullough TV Schedule
  TV Now

Miscellaneous

• From Cyberspace With Love...
  Got a problem with any of the things written on this page? You're not alone...
• Julie McCullough Filmography
  Internet Movie Database
  Always up-to-date filmography
• Julie McCullough
  Wikipedia
  Julie McCullough in wikireality