Julie Sommars was born in Fremont, Nebraska, and moved with her parents to Aberdeen, South Dakota, where she completed high school. She won the South Dakota State American Legion Oratory Contest during her senior year at Central High School. She was the only female to compete in the national finals, where she finished second.
Sommars attended San Bernardino Valley College as a political science major, but was more interested in acting. Disregarding two full college scholarships, Sommars headed for New York where she quickly found roles in off-Broadway and regional theater. She also spent a year on the boards in London before accepting a Hollywood offer for her first feature film, "The Pad And How To Use It." Television producer Leonard Stern was so impressed with her talents that he produced a TV series, "The Governor and J.J." which teamed Julie Sommars with the late Dan Dailey as her father. In 1969, Sommars received a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Actress in a Comedy Series and the Television Critics Award as Best New Star.
Other feature credits are "Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo" and "Bat-21" in which she co-starred as Gene Hackman's wife. Her television films include "Five Desperate Women," "Sex And The Single Parent," "The Harness," and "Centennial," among others. In addition to Sommars appearing as a continuing character on "Matlock" as Assistant District Attorney Julie March, she has had numerous guest-starring roles on such series as "Harry O," "The Rockford Files," "McMillan And Wife," and "McCloud."
