Julia Wainwright Capwell

Julia Wainwright Capwell was a fictional character on Santa Barbara.

She was portrayed by Nancy Lee Grahn from May 6, 1985 to January 15, 1993. Grahn's performance garnered her a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1989.

Character History
Julia Wainwright came to Santa Barbara in May 1985 to help her sister, Augusta Lockridge, who at the time was blind. Independent and smart, Julia was an attorney with a past relationship with fellow lawyer Jack Lee. When Jack didn't remember key events that occurred during their stormy affair, Julia became confused and suspicious. It turned out that Jack was really Jerry Cooper, Jack's cousin, who had assumed Jack's identity. Julia reunited with the real Jack and was very much in love with him. Her love turned sour, however, when she heard Jack flirting with his new secretary.

Julia's first big case in Santa Barbara was defending David Laurent, who was accused of murdering his bitchy wife Madeline Capwell. While working on the case, Julia fell in love with David. She worked hard to get him acquitted during the murder trial and succeeded, but the affair ended badly and left Julia with no man in her life. Nevertheless, she had a strong desire to become a mother and decided to have a baby on her own. She chose sarcastic lawyer Mason Capwell to impregnate her. They drew up a contract stipulating that Mason would have no legal claim on the baby after it was born. Mason and Julia had a few lovemaking sessions, but what Julia didn't count on was falling in love with Mason. Unfortunately for Julia, Mason became involved with actress Victoria Lane. He not only married a pregnant Victoria, but also claimed her baby, Chip, as his own. (Cruz Castillo was the boy's real father.)

Meanwhile, Julia learned she was pregnant with Mason's child. She didn't tell Mason the news because of his involvement with Victoria, but the truth came out after Mason caught Julia at a Lamaze class. Around the same time, Mason and Julia started working at the same law firm and spent a lot of time together. In June 1987, Julia gave birth to a baby girl, Samantha, with Mason by her side. Shortly after Samantha was born, Mason went missing. During his absence, both Samantha and Chip were almost kidnapped by a photographer named Paul Marshall. Victoria shot Paul to keep him from taking Samantha. Julia took on Tori's case and got her off. The two women became unlikely friends during this time. Julia found Mason, and he returned to Santa Barbara. Mason and Julia then joined forces to get Cruz acquitted of murdering Elena Nikolas. Mason and Julia's love was too strong to deny, and they eventually made love. Julia felt guilty about this because of her friendship with Victoria.

As 1988 began, Mason divorced Victoria to spend his life with Julia and Samantha. Soon, Mason and Julia started having problems because of his drinking problem and his reluctance to marry again. Eventually, Mason proposed to Julia and she accepted. They were happy together until Mason was framed for the murder of Mark McCormick, who had caused problems between Mason and his dead first love, Mary Duvall. Several clues led to a mission where Mary had belonged. Mason went undercover at this mission to solve Mark's murder and was assumed dead following an explosion. When Julia learned of Mason's death, she mourned him deeply and refused to accept that he was gone, so she went undercover at the mission as Sister Rebecca, and met Father Michael Donnelly, and Sisters Sarah and Agatha. Sister Agatha was found to be Mark's real killer.

Ultimately, Mason resurfaced. He had a split personality and was living in Las Vegas as cowboy Sonny Sprocket. Finding Sonny, Gina Timmons realized he was Mason and convinced Sonny to impersonate Mason to bilk money out of his wealthy father, C.C. Capwell. Since Sonny didn't want to marry Julia, he and Gina arranged for Julia to see them in a compromising situation on the night before the wedding. Julia was distraught. Although she almost went through with the wedding, she left Mason at the altar. A few days later, Julia was kidnapped by the "video rapist." After Father Michael saved her life, Julia was in a vulnerable state and made love to the handsome priest. A few months later, Julia learned about Mason's split personality and tried to stop him from marrying Gina. Mason was shot at the altar. After a brief coma, he woke up and Sonny was gone for good. Mason and Julia reunited and became engaged again. They also started a law firm together, naming it Capwell & Capwell. They had a beautiful wedding in June 1989, with most of their friends and family in attendance. About a month after the wedding, Mason disappeared yet again. He didn't return until, months later, a mobster named Anthony Tonell arranged for Julia to go on trial for the murder of Bunny Tagliatti. Mason saved Julia by revealing to the court that Bunny was alive.

As 1989 came to an end, Julia learned of Mason's recent affair with Sasha Schmidt in Palm Springs. Julia refused to forgive Mason for his infidelity. Later, Sasha started blackmailing Mason with fake information that could put Julia in jail. Mason and Julia plotted to get Sasha out of their lives by making her think that Julia wanted to kill her. The plan worked. But as Julia and Mason were starting to work their way back to each other, Julia discovered Sasha's dead body in her bed! Panicking, the couple hid Sasha in the freezer and then the Capwell crypt while they tried to figure out who killed her. Eventually, with the help of Sasha's sister, Sydney Schmidt, Mason and Julia were able to prove that crazy Laura Asher, the D.A.'s wife, was Sasha's real killer.

Julia joined the Blue Sky Brigade, an environmental group headed by the charismatic Dash Nichols. The group opposed Mason's project to build a new resort, the Capwell Oasis. Mason and Julia started having problems because of this, and Mason's drinking problem resurfaced. Julia decided to end their marriage after a drunk Mason got into a minor accident with Samantha. Heartbroken, she slept with Dash on the rebound. Later, when she wanted to break things off with him, he raped her. Julia was devastated by the rape and wanted Dash prosecuted. She got her day in court with Dash, but was hurt and angry when the jury found him not guilty. Taking matters into her own hands, she abducted Dash at gunpoint and took him to a secluded cabin. She intended to hold him there until he confessed, but the plan backfired and Dash wound up saving Julia's life. Julia got herself a shrink named Dr. Denise Foxworthy and liked the woman very much, but Dash began an affair with Denise soon after the therapy sessions began. Eventually, Dash realized that he had indeed raped Julia and admitted his crime.

Meanwhile, Julia became the new district attorney and began spending time with David Raymond, her former law professor. Mason still loved Julia and they eventually had a one-night stand on the beach. Mason wanted to move to Paris with Julia, but the one-night stand wasn't a new beginning as far as Julia was concerned. It was still over between them. A hurt Mason responded by becoming engaged to Cassandra Benedict, but the two never got married and Julia and Mason were drawn together once again. She agreed to remarry him. Mason then tricked Julia into thinking she was going to a memorial service for his uncle Grant Capwell, and when she got there, he had a wedding all planned! Julia was furious. She soon calmed down and agreed to go through with the wedding. Mason and Julia then moved into Ballymoor, the mansion they were married in. That turned out to be a mistake. Not only did Ballymoor seem to be haunted, both Julia and Samantha came down with a rare illness and nearly died. Having had more than enough of Ballymoor, Mason and Julia moved into the Capwell mansion and ran against each other for judge. Julia won by one vote. Around this time, Mason and Julia found themselves unable to have another child. Mason rejected Julia's suggestion that they could adopt a baby. They then encountered a pregnant hitchhiker, Gracie Lively. When Gracie went into labor at the Capwell mansion, Mason and Julia were forced to deliver the baby themselves. As they were deciding to adopt the baby, Julia announced that she was pregnant.