Tamara Tunie

Tamara Tunie

Tunie in 2014
Born Tamara Renee Tunie
(1959-03-14) March 14, 1959
McKeesport, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names Tamara Tunie Boquett
Alma mater Carnegie Mellon University
Occupation Actress, producer, director
Years active 1986–present
Spouse(s) Greg Bouquett (1988–1991; divorced)
Gregory Generet (1995–present; separated)

Tamara Renee Tunie (born March 14, 1959) is an American film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her portrayal of attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and medical examiner Melinda Warner on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. From 2000 to 2007 (and again briefly in 2009 and 2010), she appeared on both series simultaneously. Tunie has also appeared in film, most notably playing the key supporting role of Margaret Thomason in the 2012 film Flight.

Early life

Tunie was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Homestead,[1] the daughter of Evelyn (née Hawkins) and James W. Tunie. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.[2] In addition to her roles on As the World Turns, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, she is also known for her recurring roles as Lillian Fancy in NYPD Blue (1994–1997) and as Alberta Green in the first season of Fox's 24. Tunie also guest-starred in many television series, including Spenser: For Hire, Tribeca, SeaQuest DSV, New York Undercover, Swift Justice, Feds, Chicago Hope, Sex and the City, and Law & Order: Trial by Jury "Survivor's Remorse".

Career

Tunie worked twice with Al Pacino; she portrayed his press secretary in the 1996 film City Hall and the possessed wife of a partner in his law firm in the 1997 film The Devil's Advocate.[3] Her other film credits include Wall Street (1987), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), Rising Sun (1993), Eve's Bayou (1997), and The Peacemaker (1997).

In 2001, she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Awards for her role in film The Caveman's Valentine, based on George Dawes Green's novel of the same name, opposite Samuel L. Jackson.[4] She won a Tony Award in 2007 for the production of the Broadway musical Spring Awakening and a Drama Desk Award.[5][6]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Sweet Lorraine Julie
1987 Wall Street Carolyn
1989 Bloodhounds of Broadway Cynthia Harris
1993 Rising Sun Lauren Smith
1996 Rescuing Desire Van
1996 Quentin Carr Detective Short film
1996 City Hall Leslie Christos
1996 Money Shot, TheThe Money Shot
1997 Spirit Lost Anne
1997 Eve's Bayou Narrator (voice)
1997 Peacemaker, TheThe Peacemaker Jody
1997 Devil's Advocate, TheThe Devil's Advocate Mrs. Jackie Heath
1998 Snake Eyes Anthea
2001 Caveman's Valentine, TheThe Caveman's Valentine Sheila
2007 Afterlife Nicole Short film
2012 Missed Connections Felicity Gray
2012 Flight Margaret Thomason
2014 Fall to Rise Annika Filming

Made-for-TV films

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault Miss Marcus
2013 Captain Blackout Jessica Winters Post-production

Producer

Year Film Role Notes
2010 See You in September Executive Producer and Director

Television

Year Film Role Notes
1986 Spenser: For Hire Nina Episode: "Shadowsight"
1986–95, 2000–07, 2009, 2010 As the World Turns Jessica Griffin Nominated Image Awards - Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series (2003,2004)
Nominated Soap Opera Digest Awards - Outstanding Supporting Actress (1995,2003)
1989 Family Feud Herself Episode: "The Young & the Restless vs. As the World Turns"
1993 Tribeca Tori Episode: "The Box"
Episode: "Honor"
1994–97 NYPD Blue Lillian Fancy Episode: "Up on the Roof" ('94)
Episode: "Good Time Charlie" ('94)
Episode: "Caulksmanship" ('96)
Episode: "Taillight's Last Gleaming" ('97)
Episode: "I Love Lucy" ('97)
1995 SeaQuest DSV Laura Episode: "The Siamese Dream"
Also known as SeaQuest 2032
1995-98 New York Undercover Janice/Lana Brooks Episode: ""Bad Girls" ('95 as Janice)
Episode: "Sign o' the Times" ('98 as Lana Brooks)
1996 Swift Justice Jessie McKenna Episode: "Bad Medicine"
Law & Order Caroline Bennett Episode: "Deadbeat"
1997 Prince Street Episode: "Pilot"
Feds Martha Kershan Episode: "Missing Pieces"
Chicago Hope Lennie Gaghan Episode: "Leggo My Ego"
1999 Sex and the City Eileen Episode: "The Cheating Curve"
2000 The American Experience Self Voice
Episode: "Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory"
2000–present Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Melinda Warner Recurring role (2000–2005, 2011–present)
Main cast member (2005–2011)
2001 A Day's Work, a Day's Pay Narrator Documentary
2002 24 Alberta Green Episode: "9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m."
Episode: "10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m."
Episode: "11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m."
Episode: "12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m."
Episode: "1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m."
Episode: "2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m."
2003 Nefertiti: Resurrected Narrator Documentary
2005 I Love the '90s: Part Deux Herself VH1 Documentary
Party Planner with David Tutera Herself Episode: "Tamara Tunie's Fire & Ice Party"
The Tony Danza Show Herself Episode: "#1.124"
Law & Order: Trial by Jury Dr. Melinda Warner Episode: "Day"
2006 Black Sorority Project: The Exodus Spirit Documentary/voice
2008 After Hours with Daniel Boulud Herself Reality TV
Episode: "Bayona"
2009 Miss Universe 2009 Herself Judge
2010 Showing Up Herself Documentary
2011 Days of Our Lives Judge Weston 2 episodes
2013 The Good Wife Serafina Norvy Episode: "Boom De Yah Da"
2013 Golden Boy Mrs. Nevel Episode: "Scapegoat"
2014–2015 The Red Road Marie
2015 Chicago Fire Dr. Melinda Warner Crossover Episode with SVU ("We Called Her Jellybean")
2015 "Zoo" Brenda Montgomery
2016 Elementary Lily Cooper Episode: "Alma Matters"

References

  1. ↑ Varley, Teresa (2009). "Talking Steelers Football with Tamara Tunie". Steelers Digest 22 (15): 25.
  2. ↑ Tamara Tunie Biography (1959-), film reference
  3. ↑ Tamara Tunie - Biography, tamaratunie.com
  4. ↑ Awards for Tamara Tunie
  5. ↑ Tamara Tunie: Biography, TV Guide
  6. ↑ Tamara Tunie Awards

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, March 22, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.