Biografia
Julie Marie Hassett, a former criminal prosecutor and advocate for victims' rights, is an actress, writer, creative producer, founder of the nonprofit Foundation of Joy, and head of the indie film company Red Love Film. She holds degrees from The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School, studied International Law at Cambridge, and is currently engaged in acting training at Juilliard and The Beverly Hills Playhouse. Passionate about theater, film, law, and literature, Julie transitioned from courtroom storytelling to performing on Chicago theater stages, later moving to Los Angeles and New York. Her acting credits include PLAY DEAD (directed by Teller at the Geffen Playhouse), PASSPORT (Slamdance Premiere), and the award-winning comedy series TempaKILL (Best Actress), which is currently in development. She also directed and performed in THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse, successfully raising thousands to combat violence against women.
Her writing portfolio features THE KILLER NEXT DOOR (a feature thriller adaptation of a bestselling UK novel in development), an untitled procedural crime series, THE JOY DIVISION (a WWII feature), THE TRENCH POET (a limited series with attached talent), UNTITLED PUCCINI'S TRIAL (a legal thriller in workshop), THE CYRANO EXPERIMENT (a rom-com for film and stage), and JOY (in second cut post-production). For theater, she authored Salesgirl: Five Vignettes on the Working Girl. She created TempaKILL, which garnered multiple festival awards including Best Comedy, Best Ensemble, and Best Actress.
Julie is also a partner at Merry Berry LLC, specializing in holiday films. Alongside her sister Elizabeth Joy, she co-founded Red Love Film, a company blending cinema, theater, art, and philanthropy. Following Elizabeth’s untimely passing during pregnancy, Julie transformed the company’s philanthropic branch into the Foundation of Joy, a public charity dedicated to creating art that raises awareness and funding for children’s issues. FOJ collaborates with leading artists and nonprofits to tackle challenges such as hunger, homelessness, mental health, education, gender and racial equality, climate change, and foster care. Through Foundation of Joy, Julie is producing The Grace Project, an anthology focused on child wellness, community needs, and an ecosystem of service.
Her lifelong dedication to advocacy and education includes work with Children of the Night, the OPCC Women’s Shelter in Santa Monica, private investigative work in Los Angeles and Chicago, and serving two terms as an adjunct psychology professor at Harold Washington College in Chicago.
