1868 - 1957

Despite her singing talent she decided to learn the profession of an actress and she made her professional stage debut in 1888 at the Lyceum theater. Soon after followed her first leading role in the play "Pygmalion and Galatea". Afterwards she appeared successfully on different stages.
With her engagement by Beerbohm Tree her reputation increased and she made her acting repertoire perfect.

When she got married with the actor Fred Terry she came into a traditional acting family. Later her children became also well-known actors - Phyllis Neilson-Terry und Dennis Neilson-Terry. Her granddaughter was the actress Hazel Terry.
In the next years she often appeared together with her husband in various plays. In 1895, two months after the birth of her second child, she went on tour in the USA together with Fred Terry.

When she returned to England it followed engagements at the St. James, at the Adelphi and at  His Majesty's Theatre. There came also her only work in front of the camera into being with the three minute short "King John" (1899).

Fred Terry took over the management of the Haymarket in 1900. They produced successfull plays in the next 30 years, among others "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (03).

Julia Neilson had to bear several bad blows at the beginning of the 30's. First her son, the actor Dennis Neilson-Terry, died at the age of 37 at pneumonia, one year later died her husband Fred Terry.
Julia Neilson retired from the stage two years later. Only in 1944 she had a single appearance on the stage again with "The Widow of 40".