Judith Ivey (Author of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood)

Judith Ivey鈥檚 Followers (2)

Judith Ivey

Born

in El Paso, Texas, The United States

September 04, 1951

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Judith Ivey was born September 4, 1951 in El Paso, Texas, to Dorothy Lee (Lewis), a teacher, and Nathan Aldean Ivey, a college instructor and dean. From 1965-1968, Judith spent time in Dowagiac, Michigan where she attended Union High School until tenth grade. She graduated from Marion High School in Marion, Illinois in 1970, followed by enrollment at John A. Logan College, and later, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Illinois State University.

Ivey was not quite yet a Tony Award-winner, but already a prolific Broadway and stage actress when she made her film debut appearance as Steve Martin's love interest in Arthur Hiller's The Lonely Guy (1984). She then went on to star as Jennifer Jason Leigh's older sister in the Southern Goth Judith Ivey was born September 4, 1951 in El Paso, Texas, to Dorothy Lee (Lewis), a teacher, and Nathan Aldean Ivey, a college instructor and dean. From 1965-1968, Judith spent time in Dowagiac, Michigan where she attended Union High School until tenth grade. She graduated from Marion High School in Marion, Illinois in 1970, followed by enrollment at John A. Logan College, and later, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Illinois State University.

Ivey was not quite yet a Tony Award-winner, but already a prolific Broadway and stage actress when she made her film debut appearance as Steve Martin's love interest in Arthur Hiller's The Lonely Guy (1984). She then went on to star as Jennifer Jason Leigh's older sister in the Southern Gothic thriller Sister, Sister (1987). She came to star (despite her impressive resume) as what would be her better remembered role, Texan B.J. Poteet in the last season of Designing Women (1986). Other notable characters she has played in film include, Keanu Reeves devout-Baptist, yet humble mother in Devil's Advocate (1997), one-of-three intrepid psychics investigating a haunted house in Stephen King's three-part miniseries Rose Red (2002), and the recurring role of Debra Messing's mother-in-law Eleanor Markus on Will & Grace (1998).
2009 Best Voice in FICTION & CLASSICS: THE CROWNING GLORY OF CALLA LILY PONDER

Judith Ivey thinks audiobooks are "magical." Once, while taking a train from Chicago to New York, she listened to INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice. She got so scared that she had to turn the book off because she was convinced there was a vampire in the compartment with her. Ivey's warm, friendly laughter tumbles down the phone lines as she recounts the tale. "Audiobooks are wonderful." She adds, "An audiobook is almost therapeutic. It stimulates. It keeps the brain going." The two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award winner is frequently invited to read "Selected Shorts" stories on stage. "When I read, I notice that people like to close their eyes and just listen. I think it's important that people hold on to the ability to listen."

The Texas-born actress/director began her audio career in Chicago, reading for the blind. Eventually, after she moved to New York, she began recording audiobooks. She's won six AudioFile Earphones Awards, three of them for books written by Rebecca Wells: YA-YAS IN BLOOM, LITTLE ALTARS EVERYWHERE, and THE CROWNING GLORY OF CALLA LILY PONDER. She admits that Southern accents are very comfortable for her. "I'm ready to officially say that I'm from Louisiana, but I'll get disowned by my Texas family." Her real challenge lies in finding the variations in the Deep South dialects, making the characters into distinct personalities. "They can't sound the same just because they share an accent." While Ivey's done many books set in the South, she remembers recording CONGO, by Michael Crichton, in which she had to be a 60-year-old British male. "He was one of my favorite characters because it was such a stretch for me."

Ivey was nominated for an Audie Award in 2004 for A CORNER OF THE UNIVERSE by Ann M. Martin. "But"--and you can hear the grin in her voice--"that was the year Jim Dale won for HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX." She admires Dale's work and was delighted to be included in such talented company. "It's so much fun to know that you're the storyteller creating the imagery for an audience, interpreting some wonderful book that someone else has dreamed up."

In the fall Ivey will open in New York in a one-woman show, THE LADY WITH ALL THE ANSWERS, by David Rambo, about advice columnist Ann Landers. In the spring she'll play Amanda in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, by Tennessee Williams. Does she ever relax? Ivey gives a hearty laugh. "I get made fun of in my family because of the number of projects I have going on the side. I'm making curtains right now for my daughter's room. I'm making meatballs. I paint. I'm a watercolorist." She loves being wit ...more

Combine Editions
Judith Ivey鈥檚 books

Average rating: 4.02 · 4,217 ratings · 553 reviews · 40 distinct works

	Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (欧宝娱乐 Author), Judith Ivey 3.86 avg rating — 564,933 ratings — published 1996 — 131 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Congo by Michael Crichton, Judith Ivey 3.63 avg rating — 176,334 ratings — published 1980 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (欧宝娱乐 Author), Judith Ivey (Narrator) 4.39 avg rating — 118,145 ratings — published 2006 — 98 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blindsighted (Grant County, #1) by Karin Slaughter (欧宝娱乐 Author), Judith Ivey (Narrator) 4.10 avg rating — 112,507 ratings — published 2001 — 165 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King (欧宝娱乐 Author) (Narrator), Becky Ann Baker (Narrator), John Cullum (Narrator) 3.97 avg rating — 106,575 ratings — published 2002	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal (欧宝娱乐 Author), Judith Ivey (Narrator) 4.01 avg rating — 45,833 ratings — published 2019 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells (欧宝娱乐 Author), Judith Ivey (narrator) 3.59 avg rating — 30,623 ratings — published 1992 — 65 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin, Judith Ivey (Reader) 4.07 avg rating — 15,494 ratings — published 2002 — 33 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney, Judith Ivey 3.79 avg rating — 16,151 ratings — published 1999 — 59 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Stay at The Boxwood Inn: Enter the Timeless Realm of History and Romance at The Boxwood Inn by Judith Ivey, Kathy Hulick 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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