Post by mewarner on Jul 15, 2010 7:04:19 GMT -5
Beautiful Butterfly
If you don't recognize her by name, you definitely know her face. Tamara Tunie's twenty-plus year career as an actress is one of few that span both daytime, nighttime and Broadway. She is arguably one of entertainment's most steady and reliable players.
by Zanade Mann July 14th, 2010
Many of us know Tamara for her current role in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" as Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner - a role she has portrayed since 2000. However, one of her most memorable roles on television is the longstanding character Jessica Griffin (1987-1995) on the daytime drama “As The World Turns” for which she received two NAACP Image Award and two Soap Opera Digest award nominations.
She's also starred as Alberta Green in season one of the hit series “24” . At that time, Tamara was also working on "As The World Turns" and "Law & Order", earning her the distinction of being the only actor in television to appear simultaneously on three different series, for three different networks. In addition to television, Tamara is a Broadway veteran, having starred on with Denzel Washington in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” the play’s first Broadway staging in over 50 years; and received rave reviews for her turn in the lead role of Madame de Merteuil in “Les Liasons Dangereuse” at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. In 2007, Tunie became a Broadway producer for the Tony Award-winning musical “Spring Awakening.” She also produced August Wilson’s Tony Award nominated “Radio Golf.”
Recently, MaBu had the divine pleasure and honor of chatting it up with the talented and inspiring actress to get to know her just a little bit better...
Hi Tamara it is such a pleasure to speak with you today Miss Law and Order! So tell your fans what you have been up to?
Well we were on hiatus for the summer and that’s always nice after a long season and I was able to take a little vacation; some of it was work related but we had a good time. I have been working with HBO who is one of the sponsors for the Black Film Festival and I am the host for the short film competition. I’ve been doing it for about 8 years and it’s really great to see the up and coming black film makers. So it’s been nice and we are back in production for the season so I’m pretty busy.
Tamara I know a lot about your background but tell our readers about your upbringing in a funeral parlor!
Yes I grew up in Pittsburg; both of my parents are morticians and I was raised in the funeral home business. But it was really a natural part of life for me and my parents still operate a funeral home!
Well I believe that explains why you play your role of Dr. Melinda Warner so well!
You know what you are right (laughing)
So Tamara we at Mahogany Butterfly LOVE Broadway and I see you have been writing and producing so tell me some more about that; can we expect any debuts from you this season?
Not this season. I’ve been fortunate enough to get some beginners luck with working on "Spring Awakening" and then followed it up with August Wilsons "Radio Golf". Presently I am on the committee for the Tony Awards and if you are a nominator and have a show that you are producing or participating in, then you have to excuse yourself from the nominating process. I see it as an honor to be a part of the nominators so I had to take a break from producing at this time.
Tamara how do you encourage children to get into the arts? Here’s a scenario, if you created a program for children what
would it include?
Great question! If I created a program it would almost be like an arts and education program; I actually worked with an organization called Figure Skating in Harlem where they couple figure skating and the importance of a good education; so if I created something for kids it would be very similar to that program. It would include all the life building skills that youths need!
You know somebody was talking to me about the beauty pageants for kids and I am so NOT with that! I think there is no way during those formative years as a child that they will not be impacted in a negative way with those beauty pageants, I mean when I was a kid the community center would have a talent show and we would participate but it wasn’t about superficial looks, so I encourage children to read and work hard!
Thank you for saying that Tamara! I hope your words inspire youths throughout the country to stay in school, read and work hard. So Tamara what actor would you most enjoy working with? (We both start giggling)
I would LOVE to work with Laurence Fishburne! You know he’s a friend of mine, he is a delicious actor and I would really like to collaborate with him on a project.
You are beautiful Tamara. What does beauty mean to you?
For me beauty is the spirit of a person, if you’re beautiful on the inside it can’t help but show through on the outside.
Now you also must have a great wardrobe LOL so who is your favorite designer?
Oh I love B. Michael!
Yes B. Michael has great clothes for executive type women!
Yes he does couture and he designs for a lot of celebrities, so that’s my guy!
If you had to verbalize a slogan for your life what would it be?
Just Do IT! You know like Nike?
How ironic because that is my slogan.
And another one I use depending on the day is "Expect the best but prepare for the worst"
Love it!
* Be sure not to miss Tamara on "Law & Order: SVU" Wednesday nights at 9/8 central on NBC.
If you don't recognize her by name, you definitely know her face. Tamara Tunie's twenty-plus year career as an actress is one of few that span both daytime, nighttime and Broadway. She is arguably one of entertainment's most steady and reliable players.
by Zanade Mann July 14th, 2010
Many of us know Tamara for her current role in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" as Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner - a role she has portrayed since 2000. However, one of her most memorable roles on television is the longstanding character Jessica Griffin (1987-1995) on the daytime drama “As The World Turns” for which she received two NAACP Image Award and two Soap Opera Digest award nominations.
She's also starred as Alberta Green in season one of the hit series “24” . At that time, Tamara was also working on "As The World Turns" and "Law & Order", earning her the distinction of being the only actor in television to appear simultaneously on three different series, for three different networks. In addition to television, Tamara is a Broadway veteran, having starred on with Denzel Washington in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” the play’s first Broadway staging in over 50 years; and received rave reviews for her turn in the lead role of Madame de Merteuil in “Les Liasons Dangereuse” at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. In 2007, Tunie became a Broadway producer for the Tony Award-winning musical “Spring Awakening.” She also produced August Wilson’s Tony Award nominated “Radio Golf.”
Recently, MaBu had the divine pleasure and honor of chatting it up with the talented and inspiring actress to get to know her just a little bit better...
Hi Tamara it is such a pleasure to speak with you today Miss Law and Order! So tell your fans what you have been up to?
Well we were on hiatus for the summer and that’s always nice after a long season and I was able to take a little vacation; some of it was work related but we had a good time. I have been working with HBO who is one of the sponsors for the Black Film Festival and I am the host for the short film competition. I’ve been doing it for about 8 years and it’s really great to see the up and coming black film makers. So it’s been nice and we are back in production for the season so I’m pretty busy.
Tamara I know a lot about your background but tell our readers about your upbringing in a funeral parlor!
Yes I grew up in Pittsburg; both of my parents are morticians and I was raised in the funeral home business. But it was really a natural part of life for me and my parents still operate a funeral home!
Well I believe that explains why you play your role of Dr. Melinda Warner so well!
You know what you are right (laughing)
So Tamara we at Mahogany Butterfly LOVE Broadway and I see you have been writing and producing so tell me some more about that; can we expect any debuts from you this season?
Not this season. I’ve been fortunate enough to get some beginners luck with working on "Spring Awakening" and then followed it up with August Wilsons "Radio Golf". Presently I am on the committee for the Tony Awards and if you are a nominator and have a show that you are producing or participating in, then you have to excuse yourself from the nominating process. I see it as an honor to be a part of the nominators so I had to take a break from producing at this time.
Tamara how do you encourage children to get into the arts? Here’s a scenario, if you created a program for children what
would it include?
Great question! If I created a program it would almost be like an arts and education program; I actually worked with an organization called Figure Skating in Harlem where they couple figure skating and the importance of a good education; so if I created something for kids it would be very similar to that program. It would include all the life building skills that youths need!
You know somebody was talking to me about the beauty pageants for kids and I am so NOT with that! I think there is no way during those formative years as a child that they will not be impacted in a negative way with those beauty pageants, I mean when I was a kid the community center would have a talent show and we would participate but it wasn’t about superficial looks, so I encourage children to read and work hard!
Thank you for saying that Tamara! I hope your words inspire youths throughout the country to stay in school, read and work hard. So Tamara what actor would you most enjoy working with? (We both start giggling)
I would LOVE to work with Laurence Fishburne! You know he’s a friend of mine, he is a delicious actor and I would really like to collaborate with him on a project.
You are beautiful Tamara. What does beauty mean to you?
For me beauty is the spirit of a person, if you’re beautiful on the inside it can’t help but show through on the outside.
Now you also must have a great wardrobe LOL so who is your favorite designer?
Oh I love B. Michael!
Yes B. Michael has great clothes for executive type women!
Yes he does couture and he designs for a lot of celebrities, so that’s my guy!
If you had to verbalize a slogan for your life what would it be?
Just Do IT! You know like Nike?
How ironic because that is my slogan.
And another one I use depending on the day is "Expect the best but prepare for the worst"
Love it!
* Be sure not to miss Tamara on "Law & Order: SVU" Wednesday nights at 9/8 central on NBC.