"Star Trek" fans remember Julie from her role as “Miss Piper” in the two-part episode: “The Menagerie.” Born as Ruby Joyce Wilbar in Middlesboro, Kentucky, Julie was the oldest of six children of William Robert Wilbar and Gladys Marie (Webb) Wilbar. She spent her early years in Tennessee, before moving at Michigan at 11 years of age. Despite her shyness, Julie forced herself to perform in front of her classmates, doing pantomimes and Elvis impersonations (she was a big fan!), and appearing on the radio reading her high school news. After high school, she moved to Toledo, Ohio, where she got
… More her first semi-professional experience with the Toledo Repertory Theatre earning a part in "The Diary of Anne Frank."
Julie won seven beauty contests including a national contest as “Young Model of the Year.” The contest’s grand prize was an appearance in Jerry Lewis’ "It's Only Money." When she got to Hollywood, the director of the film knew nothing about the prize. Fortunately he was kind enough to write in a small part for her, and her career was launched. She attended the acting school at MGM and went on to appear in "The Nutty Professor," "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," and "Gunsmoke."
In 1967, after receiving rave reviews in Arthur Miller’s play "After the Fall," she landed a starring role as “Linda Lewis” in the TV series "Good Morning, World." Her other films include "Paradise, Hawaiian Style," starring Elvis Presley, and "The Devil and Max Devlin." In recent years, Parrish played “Joan Diamond” on the hit drama "Beverly Hills, 90210."
In addition to acting, Parrish worked for nine years as a full-time on-staff counselor at the Haven Hills shelter for battered women and their children. She first became interested the needs of battered women while a volunteer on a rape and battery crisis hotline during her college days. She twice survived ovarian cancer, and she spoke openly and insightfully about the experience. In her last years, she traveled the country giving talks about domestic abuse and teen dating violence.
