Judith Ridley is an American actress known for her roles in the George A. Romero films Night of the Living Dead and There's Always Vanilla . She is sometimes credited as Judith Streiner and was once married to Night of the Living Dead producer Russell Streiner, who also appeared as Johnny in the film. Ridley's role as Judy in the original Night of the Living Dead was written specifically for her, as the character did not exist prior to filming. The producers were so struck by her beauty and photogenic looks that they included her in the film, adding scenes for her character as they went along.