Julia Child
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Biography
Tall (6'2"), imposing, American culinary personality extraordinaire who has brought a regal, quasi-British authority and calorie-crammed delights to the American public for over three decades. After training as a French chef in Paris (and opening a cooking school soon afterwards) while her husband worked for the American Embassy, Child returned to the US in 1961. She made a guest appearance on a local Boston TV show, and was soon thereafter offered her own cooking instruction program. "The French Chef" became one of the longest running series in the history of public broadcasting and, along with her companion series, "Julia Child & Company," "Dinner with Julia" and "Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home" (with French chef Jacques Pepin), proved just how fascinating it can be to watch someone cook.
Good-humored as well as no-nonsense on the air, Child broadened her culinary expertise rapidly through the years, soon leaving eager viewers in suspense as to whether she would perform a perfect pea soup, mess around with moussaka or titillate with a toasted apricot meringue. Beginning in 1980 she hosted a regular segment on ABC's "Good Morning America" and her domination of the world of un-fast food was insured with a series of best-selling cookbooks and videotapes. Dan Aykroyd's memorable spoof of Child's unflappable gentility (even when bleeding to death) was a high point in the hilarious "Saturday Night Live" skits of the 70s and 80s.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Producer (Special)
Life Events
1954
With Beck and Bertholle contracted to write cookbook, "French Cooking in America"; published in 1961
1961
Returned to the United States; settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts
1963
Debuted her long-running series on PBS, "The French Chef"
1980
Was the first woman elected a member of the American chapter of the chef's society, La Commanderie des Cordons Bleus de France
1980
Appeared regularly as a correspondent and cooking editor on ABC's "Good Morning America"
1985
Aired a week-long special series, "Julia Child in Italy"; rebroadcast in 1986-87
1985
Hosted a series of six one-hour videotapes, "The Way to Cook"
1990
Appeared on "The American Red Cross Emergency Test"
1992
Celebrated her 30th anniversary on PBS
1993
Became first woman to be inducted into the Culinary Institute Hall of Fame
Companions
