Soap Opera Digest
Feb. 12, 2002
Julia Barr
Julia Barr oozes a naturalness that lends credibility to her scenes. When other actors are speaking, Barr seems to listen and absorb so that her next line doesn't appear scripted.
That talent really comes i handy during situations like the one where Brooke, Edmund and Phoebe played charades with those moppets. Another actress might have looked sheepish while hopping around like a chicken. Not Barr. In the tradition of soccer moms, the actress got into the spirit of things in such a way that it (pardon the expression) cut the cheese factor.
The actress really shines when given emotional scenes. When the put-upon mother confronted her petulant daughter, and a misty-eyed Brooke softly asked Laura, "Do you think I love you less because I adopted you?", her pain and frustration were palpable. Laura remained snarky and Brooke implored. "You stop, okay, because I am your mother. And I love you. But you can't ask me to just have that and nothing else, okay? You are my priority but you may not always come first and I need you... I need ou to get that in your head and understand that. Can you do that? Because I'm worried about you, honey. You're on a dark and lonely path that is solely of your own choosing. And, it makes me feel very sad for you."
Her baby blues welling with tears, her voice quaking, Barr brought such a vulnerability to the moment that, like Edmund, who squirmed in a corner, we felt like we were intruding on an intimate family moment.