Tamara Tunie
Tamara Tunie
Tamara Renee Tunieis 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, 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...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionActress
Date of Birth14 March 1959
CountryUnited States of America
Here's how I look at it: Life is full of challenges. Everybody has them. For some, it's health or family crises. I had a financial challenge.
Fortunately, I'm known as the hardest-working woman in showbiz, not to compete with James Brown. I've always been a multi-tasker.
Even though you're married, you're still individuals. You still have to grow and nurture your individuality.
Chuck Cooper is a friend, and I adore him. He can do so many things.
I adore the designer B. Michael's curve-flattering gowns, but there is nothing better than jeans with a crisp white shirt.
I'm all about the drugstore beauty products. They're affordable and get the job done.
I appreciate being able to give back to charities I care about such as the American Diabetes Association - my older sister passed away from diabetes - and Figure Skating in Harlem, which teaches young girls about confidence, focus and goal-setting.
I'm Irish on St. Patrick's Day. I'm Italian on Columbus Day. I'm a New Yorker every day.
There was a time, actually, when I hadn't been singing, and I'd lost a lot of my ability. My range had shrunk.
My Native American heritage was not embraced by our family, and we grew up African-American, so I didn't have a lot of access or history to that line of my family.
I just think there are enough hours in the day. If you just focus and dedicate yourself and approach each task as it presents itself, you can accomplish a lot.
The first thing I do is brush my teeth - we like to start the morning with fresh breath - and put on my pajamas and meander down to the kitchen for a glass of orange juice. No coffee. No caffeine.
All you have is yourself and what you have to present, and just focus on that. And if you can walk out of the audition and say to yourself, 'I hit all my beats,' 'I accomplished my emotional honesty,' or 'I remembered my words,' then that's winning.
When I first got to New York, all I did was musicals. After a few years I had to make a conscious choice to close the door on musicals, because I was getting pigeon-holed as a musical theater performer.