American actress Julie Bowen was born Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer on March 3, 1970 in Baltimore, Maryland. She started her acting career while taking her college education at the Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, appearing on plays such as Guys and Dolls and Stage Door. Before graduating, she played the lead in the 1992 independent film Five Spot Jewel.
Upon graduation, Bowen appeared in the daytime soap Loving, and later made her primetime debut through a guest appearance in the drama Class of ’96. In 1994, she appeared opposite Paul Rudd in the television movie Runaway Daughters, playing the female lead Angie Gordon. After guest roles in Extreme and Party of Five, she starred in the 1996 sports comedy Happy Gilmore, where she played the title character’s romantic interest Virginia Venit. She also appeared in films such as An American Werewolf in Paris and Multiplicity.
From 1998, Bowen had a recurring role on the medical drama ER, as Roxanne Please, the girlfriend of John Carter (Noah Wyle). Her biggest break, however, was on the television series Ed, which first aired in 2000. She played high school English teacher Carol Vessey, the love interest of the lead character Edward Stevens (Tom Cavanagh). The program had a dedicated following and was also nominated for numerous Emmy awards, but was cancelled in 2004 amidst poor ratings.
Bowen was later cast in a recurring role in the television series Lost, playing Jack Shepherd’s (Matthew Fox) ex-wife Sarah Shepherd. She was then given a regular role in the legal drama Boston Legal, where she plays Denise Bauer-Chase, a lawyer whose many tumultuous relationships have dotted her stint at the Crane, Poole & Schmidt law office. She made a guest appearance on Weeds, before taking an extended maternity leave; it is still uncertain whether she will return to Boston Legal.