Julie Strain, the model, actress, and poster girl who became known as the queen of B-movies and the muse of Heavy Metal magazine, died on January 10, 2021, after a long battle with dementia. She was 58 years old.
Contents
A Head Injury That Changed Her Life
Strain was born in Concord, California, on February 18, 1962. She had an extensive athletic background and graduated from Diablo Valley College. She later moved to Las Vegas and then Hollywood to pursue her career in entertainment.
However, when she was in her early 20s, she suffered a severe head injury from falling off a horse. The accident caused her to lose most of her memory of her childhood and youth. She had to relearn how to walk, talk, and write.
According to Bleeding Cool, she once said:
I don’t remember anything before the accident. I had to learn everything all over again. It was like being born at 21.
A Star in the World of B-Movies and Heavy Metal
Despite the trauma, Strain did not give up on her dreams. She became a Penthouse Pet of the Month in June 1991 and Penthouse Pet of the Year in 1993. She also appeared in over 100 films, mostly in the genres of science fiction, horror, action, and erotica. She was nicknamed the “Queen of B-movies” for her roles as strong, sexy, and often violent women.
Some of her notable films include Witchcraft IV: The Virgin Heart (1992), Fit to Kill (1993), Sorceress (1995), Day of the Warrior (1996), L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Return to Savage Beach (1998), and Delta Delta Die! (2003).
She also became the face and voice of Heavy Metal magazine and its related media. She was married to Kevin Eastman, the co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the publisher of Heavy Metal, from 1995 to 2006. She modeled for many comic book artists, such as Simon Bisley, Milo Manara, and Olivia De Berardinis. She also starred as Julie in the animated film Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) and provided the basis for the video game Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2 (2000).
She was a frequent guest at comic book conventions and a fan favorite among sci-fi and fantasy enthusiasts. She also published her autobiography, Six Foot One and Worth the Climb, in 1997.
A Long Battle with Dementia
In November 2018, her boyfriend Dave Gram announced that she was in the late stages of dementia, believed to be a result of her head injury. She was receiving hospice care at home.
In January 2020, Malibu Bay Films, a studio that Strain worked with frequently, mistakenly reported that she had died. However, they quickly retracted their statement after it was confirmed that she was still alive.
Sadly, a year later, Strain passed away on January 10, 2021. Her death was confirmed by Heavy Metal magazine and several of her friends and colleagues.
She is survived by her partner Dave Gram and her son Shane Eastman.
A Legacy of Beauty, Strength, and Humor
Julie Strain will be remembered as a woman who overcame adversity and achieved success in her own terms. She was not only a stunning beauty but also a talented actress and a charismatic personality. She embraced her roles as a sci-fi warrior princess, a B-movie queen, and a Heavy Metal muse with confidence, humor, and authenticity.
She once said:
If I were given a script with no sex or nudity, I’d be extremely disappointed.
She also said:
I am the chick that they call when they want a gun-toting Amazon bitch. Barbarella with a machine gun. Vampires, witches, sorceresses and double agents. That’s what I do.
She did it well, and she will be missed by many fans around the world.
