ABOUT

JULIE ASRIYAN is an award-winning Armenian-American MENA/SWANA stage and screen actor, director, filmmaker, producer, creative artist. On television Julie has appeared on NBC’s The Blacklist, Netflix’s Russian Doll, CBS’ Blue Bloods and national commercials including Kohl’s. Her short film Amadi Comes Home, 2022 (actor, co-director, producer, editor) screened in festivals across the US, was named Winner Best Women Empowerment Film at the American Filmatic Arts Awards. Julie is the writer/director of HOME (Top 5 Finalist, Terry George + Creative Armenia Human Rights Film Challenge) an allegorical micro short film inspired by Julie’s experience as a child refugee.

On stage Julie appeared in the 2022 off-Broadway premiere of Hart Island (The Gym at Judson), Beirut Rocks (The Flea Theater, New York Innovative Theater Awards Outstanding Actress Nominee), NINE (Gene Frankel Theatre), The Bump (World premiere, The Flea Theater), Dumpster Dive (Glasslands Gallery), Souls on Parade (Actor/Writer, Theater Row) and the experimental site specific production of Savage in Limbo/Last Call: Scenes From A Bar (actor/producer, The Exley). 

Multicultural and multilingual, Julie was born to an Armenian family of artists in the former Soviet Union. Julie and her family became refugees after fleeing the Baku pogroms, immigrating to the United States and settling in NYC in the early 90’s.

Julie was called to the arts in early childhood; studying dance, music and visual arts; performing in Europe, Eurasia/ Middle East, and then North America. Storytelling – whether through dance, written, visual or multidisciplinary mediums – has always been at the core of Julie’s calling.

Her interest in the exploration of the human condition led her to study psychology and philosophy at NYC’s Pace University, as well as her first classes studying film.

Upon graduating university, Julie dove into exploring classic and contemporary acting disciplines, going on to graduating from the prestigious acting conservatory William Esper Studio (Meisner Technique) where she studied with Terry Knickerbocker. Further studies of storytelling led Julie to study screenwriting at the Jacob Kreuger Studio as well as apprenticeships and independent studies in film editing and photography.

Julie is a New York Innovative Theater Awards – Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role nominee. Her NYC Theatrical works includes performances at The Flea Theater, Theatre Row, Gene Frankel Theater and the Millennium / Master Theater.

Julie’s micro-short film HOME – an allegorical take on her personal experience as a refugee — was named finalist in Oscar winning director’s Terry George x Creative Armenian human rights film challenge.
Julie is currently developing Amadi Comes Home, a short ensemble drama film exploring race relations and adoption in contemporary America – as an actor/co-director/producer and editor – slated for festival release in 2021.
Julie is the co-creator/director of Casting Call | The Project – a viral web video addressing women’s representation in film and TV– dubbed “A MUST-SEE VIDEO” by RogerEbert.com and a 2017 Webby Award Honoree featured in  featured in IndieWire Women & Hollywood, Huffington Post, Broadway World, NY Magazine, LA Magazine, Adweek, Time Out NY, and Jill Soloway’s Wifey.TV.

Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role
New York Innovative Theatre Awards
Nominee. Julie Asriyan
   21st Annual Webby Award
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
2017 Honoree. Film & Video Viral.
Casting Call | The Project
Co -Dir. Julie Asriyan, Jenna Ciralli, Laura E. Bray
  IndieFEST Film Awards
Winner. Awards of Merit: Women Filmmakers
Casting Call | The Project , 2016.
Co -Dir. Julie Asriyan, Jenna Ciralli, Laura E. Bray
  Top Shorts Film Festival
Winner. Best Trailer. Undocumented, 2017
Editor: Julie Asriyan
  Terry George x Creative Armenia
Art of Impact; Human Rights Film challenge.
“An evocative parable” – Creative Armenia
Finalist. Home, 2017. Dir. Julie Asriyan
  “A MUST-SEE VIDEO” – RogerEbert.com
Video of the Day on RogertEbert.com
Casting Call | The Project