If you love old Hollywood movies, you know the name James “Jimmy” Stewart. He starred in It’s a Wonderful Life, Vertigo and Rear Window. But many fans also ask a simple question: what about his children? One name that comes up a lot is Judy Stewart Merrill.
Quick Bio of Judy Stewart Merrill
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name used in public | Judy Stewart Merrill (also written Judy Stewart-Merrill or Judy Merrill) |
| Born | May 7, 1951 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles area, California, United States (reported) |
| Age in 2026 | 75 |
| Father | James “Jimmy” Stewart, actor (1908 to 1997) |
| Mother | Gloria Hatrick McLean Stewart (1918 to 1994) |
| Twin sister | Kelly Stewart Harcourt |
| Half brothers | Ronald McLean (1944 to 1969) and Michael McLean (born 1946), adopted by James Stewart |
| Known for | Being the daughter of James Stewart and attending events for the Jimmy Stewart Museum |
| Public profile | Low. She is not an actress and keeps her private life private |
Who Is Judy Stewart Merrill?
Judy Stewart Merrill is one of the twin daughters of James Stewart and his wife, Gloria. She and her sister Kelly were born on May 7, 1951. Judy is not a movie star. She did not follow her father into acting, and she has not built a public career in Hollywood.
You may see her name written in a few ways. The Jimmy Stewart Museum has used the name “Judy Merrill,” and other sources use “Judy Stewart-Merrill.” These all point to the same person. It is likely that Merrill is her married name, but her husband and her work are not clearly confirmed by trusted sources, so we do not list them as facts here.
Her Famous Father: James Stewart
To understand Judy’s story, it helps to know a little about her dad.
James Maitland Stewart was born on May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Pennsylvania. His parents ran a hardware store in town. He went to Princeton University, where he studied architecture, and then moved into acting. He became one of the best loved film stars in America. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Philadelphia Story, and he worked in film for about six decades.
He also served in the military. Stewart flew bomber missions in World War II, and he stayed in the Air Force Reserve after the war. After the war ended, he went back to Hollywood and kept acting.
He died on July 2, 1997, at the age of 89.
Her Mother: Gloria Hatrick McLean Stewart
Judy’s mother, Gloria, was born on March 10, 1918, in Larchmont, New York. She worked as a model before she married Stewart. She was married once before. Her first husband was Edward Beale McLean Jr., and they had two sons, Ronald and Michael. That marriage ended in divorce in 1948.
James Stewart married Gloria on August 9, 1949. He was 41 years old, and people had called him “the great American bachelor” for years. After the wedding, he adopted Gloria’s two young sons. Gloria was also known for her work with animal groups and other community causes.
Gloria died of lung cancer on February 16, 1994, at the age of 75. Her husband was heartbroken. He passed away three years later.
Judy’s Twin Sister: Kelly Stewart Harcourt
Judy has a fraternal twin sister, Kelly Stewart Harcourt. Kelly is more visible in the media. She has spoken about her father in interviews and on the Jimmy Stewart Museum podcast. She also became an anthropologist.
In 2026, the museum shared news that Kelly was an executive producer on a film called JIMMY, which is about her father. She stood with the film’s director and actor KJ Apa at a birthday event for Jimmy Stewart at the museum.
When you read about “James Stewart’s daughters,” you will often see both names together, Kelly and Judy.
Growing Up in a Famous Family
Judy and Kelly grew up in Beverly Hills. Their parents bought a home there in 1951, and they lived in it for the rest of their lives. Even with a famous father, the family tried to keep life normal. Kelly has said that her father rarely brought his work home.
Family photos from the 1960s show the girls with their parents at big events. One photo shows the family sightseeing in London in 1968. Another shows the twins with their father at the 1967 Academy Awards.
A Family That Faced Loss
The Stewart family also went through hard times. Judy’s half brother, Ronald McLean, joined the United States Marine Corps and became a lieutenant. He was killed in action in Vietnam on June 8, 1969. He was 24 years old.
Then, in 1994, the family lost Gloria. And in 1997, they lost James Stewart. Judy and Kelly were adults by then, but these years must have been very sad for them.
Judy and the Jimmy Stewart Museum
The best known public link between Judy and her father’s legacy is the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
The museum opened on May 20, 1995. James Stewart could not attend the opening, so he sent his twin daughters, Kelly Harcourt and Judy Merrill, to represent him. The museum is on the third floor of the Indiana Public Library, and it shows his film career, his war service and his life as a family man.
Judy has come back several times. News reports show she took part in an open house at the museum on November 22, 2013, where she shared childhood memories of her father. A newspaper also said that Judy and Kelly were guests at a fundraising dinner during the 100th birthday celebrations for their father in 2008, along with comedian Rich Little, who was Stewart’s friend.
These visits help keep her father’s memory alive for fans.
What Do We Know About Her Private Life?
This is the part where many websites go wrong. If you search for Judy Stewart Merrill, you will find a lot of articles that say she is a teacher, an artist, a writer or an environmental worker. Some say she married a man named Steven Merrill and has two sons. Other pages give a different birth year or even a different number of siblings.
We could not confirm these details in trusted sources such as museum pages, major news outlets or encyclopedias. Many of the pages look like copied or low quality content. Because of this, we cannot say what Judy does for work or who her husband and children are.
What we can say is simple:
- She was born on May 7, 1951.
- She is James Stewart’s daughter and Kelly’s twin.
- She has taken part in events that honor her father.
- She keeps a quiet life away from the media.
That privacy is her choice, and it is a good idea to respect it.
Why People Still Search for Her
There are a few reasons people are curious about Judy Stewart Merrill:
- Fans love her father. It’s a Wonderful Life is still shown every Christmas, so new fans keep finding James Stewart.
- She is rarely in the news. When someone is private, people search more to find out about them.
- New projects keep the family in the news. The 2026 film JIMMY has brought fresh attention to the Stewart family.
Final Thoughts
Judy Stewart Merrill is the daughter of one of Hollywood’s best known actors, but she has chosen a calm life outside the spotlight. What we know for sure is her birth date, her family, and her role at the Jimmy Stewart Museum, where she helped honor her dad. Everything else is either private or not confirmed.
If you want to learn more about her father and the family, the best place to start is the official Jimmy Stewart Museum website at jimmy.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Judy Stewart Merrill? She is one of the twin daughters of actor James Stewart and Gloria Hatrick McLean Stewart.
2. When was Judy Stewart Merrill born? She was born on May 7, 1951. She is 75 years old in 2026.
3. Does Judy have a sister? Yes. Her twin sister is Kelly Stewart Harcourt.
4. Does Judy have brothers? She had two half brothers, Ronald and Michael McLean. James Stewart adopted both boys when he married Gloria. Ronald died in Vietnam in 1969.
5. Is Judy Stewart Merrill an actress? No. She did not follow her father into acting and has no known career in film.
6. Why is her name written in different ways? Sources use Judy Stewart, Judy Merrill and Judy Stewart-Merrill. They all refer to the same person.
7. How is Judy connected to the Jimmy Stewart Museum? She and Kelly represented their father at the museum’s opening on May 20, 1995. She has also visited for later events.
8. What happened to her parents? Her mother, Gloria, died of lung cancer on February 16, 1994. Her father, James Stewart, died on July 2, 1997.
9. Is it true that she is married with two sons? Some websites say so, but we could not confirm it from trusted sources. It is safer not to treat it as a fact.
10. Where can I learn more about James Stewart and his family? You can visit the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania, or read its website at jimmy.org.
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