Julie Fernandez
Encyclopedia
Julie Fernandez is a British
actress, best known as Brenda, her award-winning role on the BBC
comedy The Office
. She is also a model.
Fernandez was born with osteogenesis imperfecta
and requires the use of a wheelchair
. Her acting career began in 1992 when she starred as Vanessa Lockhead in the short-lived BBC soap opera
Eldorado
. She went on to play Sean Maguire
's girlfriend
in BBC1 drama Dangerfield
before landing the role of Brenda in The Office.
Fernandez is a prominent disability rights activist in the United Kingdom
and has supported campaigns for the Disability Rights Commission
. She set up The Disability Foundation
, a British pan-disability charity boasting one of the largest disability information databases in the UK. In January 2003, she co-hosted the opening ceremony for the European Year of People with Disabilities
in Athens
.
In 2004, Fernandez formed a television
production company called The Wheelie Good Company and spent the time since working on new programme ideas. The company was set up by Fernandez to improve the representation of disabled people in the media but no longer focus on disability-related material.
She appeared as a regular guest on the quiz show HeadJam
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress, best known as Brenda, her award-winning role on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
. She is also a model.
Fernandez was born with osteogenesis imperfecta
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic bone disorder. People with OI are born with defective connective tissue, or without the ability to make it, usually because of a deficiency of Type-I collagen...
and requires the use of a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. Her acting career began in 1992 when she starred as Vanessa Lockhead in the short-lived BBC soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Eldorado
Eldorado (TV series)
Eldorado was a British soap opera that ran for only one year, from 6 July 1992 to 9 July 1993. Set in Coín on the Costa Del Sol and based around the lives of British and European expats, the BBC hoped it would be as successful as EastEnders and replicate some of the sunshine and glamour of imported...
. She went on to play Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire is an English actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of eleven he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama Grange Hill, in which he remained until 1992...
's girlfriend
Girlfriend
Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
in BBC1 drama Dangerfield
Dangerfield (TV series)
Dangerfield is a British drama series about a small town doctor / police surgeon, which ran for 6 series, between 1995 and 1999. Originally Nigel Le Vaillant played the central role , but this character later left the series, the focus switching to his replacement, played by Nigel Havers.The BBC...
before landing the role of Brenda in The Office.
Fernandez is a prominent disability rights activist in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and has supported campaigns for the Disability Rights Commission
Disability Rights Commission
The Disability Rights Commission was established by the British Labour government in 1999. At that time, the DRC was the UK's third equality commission alongside the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission....
. She set up The Disability Foundation
The Disability Foundation
The Disability Foundation is a United Kingdom based non-profit organization.Its aim is to promote the lives of disabled people and their families by supporting their desire to live an independent and dignified lifestyle....
, a British pan-disability charity boasting one of the largest disability information databases in the UK. In January 2003, she co-hosted the opening ceremony for the European Year of People with Disabilities
European Year of People with Disabilities
The year 2003 was designated the European Year of People with Disabilities by the European Commission. It is sometimes called the European Year of Disabled People....
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
In 2004, Fernandez formed a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
production company called The Wheelie Good Company and spent the time since working on new programme ideas. The company was set up by Fernandez to improve the representation of disabled people in the media but no longer focus on disability-related material.
She appeared as a regular guest on the quiz show HeadJam
HeadJam
HeadJam is a BBC television game show hosted by Vernon Kay. It originally aired during the summer of 2004 on BBC Three, with a repeat soon afterwards on BBC Two.It featured two teams, each consisting of a member of the public and a celebrity...
.