Julia Child: Her life in pictures

Meryl Streep’s mesmerizing performance in “Julie & Julia” had one downside -- walking out of the theater, it was hard to remember what the real Julia Child looked like anymore. That’s because Streep was magnificent at channeling the endearingly awkward mannerisms and high-pitched voice of that master chef. So we decided to comb the L.A. Times article and photo archives for Julia Child highlights. And when we did, we were struck once again: No offense, Meryl, but the real Julia Child is absolutely unforgettable. Bon Appetit!

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Top TV and movie chefs (and cooks) (Jonathan Wenk / Associated Press)

Aug. 15, 2012 8:51 AM PT

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This 2002 file photo caught Julia relaxing on her patio in Montecito. She resisted calling her condominium a retirement home: “I’m not retired, am I?” Here’s the 2002 story that accompanied that photo, and looked at a day in the life of a living legend.

RECENT & RELATED

L.A. Times Food Editor Russ Parsons: “Julie, Julia and me: I tell all”

Movie review: ‘Julie & Julia’ does it right

‘Julie & Julia’ whets foodies’ appetites

Top TV and movie chefs (and cooks) (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Julia Child at home in Cambridge, Mass., showing off her tomatoes in this 1992 file photo. Child was reintroduced to a new generation of wanna-be chefs, in part because of a blog written by Julia Powell -- which of course became fodder for the new hit movie. In this 2003 piece, Russ Parsons profiles Powell, and her quirky endeavor to cook through Child’s masterpiece cookbook.

RECENT & RELATED

L.A. Times Food Editor Russ Parsons: “Julie, Julia and me: I tell all”

Movie review: ‘Julie & Julia’ does it right

‘Julie & Julia’ whets foodies’ appetites

Top TV and movie chefs (and cooks) (Jon Chase / Associated Press)

Restaurateur Traci Des Jardins, left, joins Julia Child at a preliminary 90th birthday party in San Francisco, in 2002. “Just wild, isn’t it?” Child said of the turnout. This 2002 story captured the food-laden fetes that came before the big day.

RECENT & RELATED

L.A. Times Food Editor Russ Parsons: “Julie, Julia and me: I tell all”

Movie review: ‘Julie & Julia’ does it right

‘Julie & Julia’ whets foodies’ appetites

Top TV and movie chefs (and cooks) (Randi Lynn Beach / For The Times)

Julia Child died in 2004, at the age of 91, at her apartment in Montecito. She continues to be adored by the masses. Click here to read her obituary, which ran on the front page of the L.A. Times. The movie “Julie & Julia” includes a mystery that might leave some moviegoers shaking their heads. Well, Times Food Editor Russ Parsons -- a personal friend to Julia Child -- has the answer. (Tread carefully, though, if you haven’t yet seen the movie. This column definitely contains some spoilers.)

RECENT & RELATED

L.A. Times Food Editor Russ Parsons: “Julie, Julia and me: I tell all”

Movie review: ‘Julie & Julia’ does it right

‘Julie & Julia’ whets foodies’ appetites

Top TV and movie chefs (and cooks) (Stephen J. Carrera / Associated Press)