Tamara Tunie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tamara Tunie
Tunie in 2014
Born	(1959-03-14) March 14, 1959 (age 66) McKeesport, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names	Tamara Tunie Boquett
Education	Carnegie Mellon University (BFA)
Occupation	Actress director producer
Years active	1981–present
Spouse(s)	Greg Bouquett ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 1991)​ Gregory Generet ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2018)​

Tamara Tunie (born March 14, 1959) is an American actress, director, and producer. She is well-known for her roles on TV. These include playing attorney Jessica Griffin on the soap opera As the World Turns. She also played medical examiner Melinda Warner on the police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Tamara Tunie has also appeared in many movies. Some of her films are Rising Sun (1993) and Flight (2012). She also appeared in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022).

Early Life and Education

Tamara Tunie grew up in Homestead, Pennsylvania. She was one of six children. Her family ran a funeral home. As a child, she sang in her church choir. She also played in the high school band and took dance lessons. She was a very good student.

Tamara once said that people from her area were "forged by the fire." This means they became strong and ready for life. In 1981, she graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. She earned a special degree in Musical Theater. Later, in 2020, she joined the university's Board of Trustees.

Acting Career

Tamara Tunie started her acting career on Broadway. Her first show was with the famous singer Lena Horne in 1981.

Early TV Roles

From 1987 to 1995, Tamara starred in the TV show As the World Turns. She played a lawyer named Jessica Griffin. She returned to the show from 2000 to 2007. For this role, she was nominated for NAACP Image Awards.

In the 1990s, she also appeared in other popular TV shows. These included Law & Order, Chicago Hope, and Sex and the City. She also had a regular role as Lillian Fancy in NYPD Blue.

Movie Appearances

Tamara Tunie has acted in many movies. Her first film was Sweet Lorraine in 1987. She also appeared in Wall Street.

She worked with actor Al Pacino twice. She played his press secretary in City Hall. She also played a wife in his law firm in The Devil's Advocate. In 2001, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Awards for her role in The Caveman's Valentine.

Law & Order: SVU and Other Shows

In 2000, Tamara joined the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She played Dr. Melinda Warner, a medical examiner. A medical examiner is a doctor who investigates deaths to find out how and why someone died. She first appeared in the second season. She became a main cast member from Season 7 to 12. She continued to appear on the show until 2021.

She also played Dr. Warner in other shows. These included Law & Order: Trial by Jury and Chicago Fire. In 2024, she returned to play Dr. Warner in Law & Order: Organized Crime.

In 2002, Tamara also had a role in the thriller series 24. From 2014 to 2015, she was a regular on The Red Road. She also appeared in Blue Bloods from 2016 to 2018. In 2018, she was a main actress in Dietland and Black Earth Rising. She played Eunice Clayton in Black Earth Rising, who was an important government official.

Directing and Recent Work

In 2010, Tamara Tunie directed her first movie. It was a romantic comedy called See You in September. In 2012, she acted in the movie Flight with Denzel Washington.

In 2022, she played Cissy Houston in the movie Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. This movie was about the life of singer Whitney Houston. In 2024, she joined a new TV show called Beyond the Gates.

Awards and Achievements

Tamara Tunie has won several awards for her work.

• In 2007, she won a Tony Award. This was for producing the Broadway musical Spring Awakening.
• She also won a Drama Desk Award.
• In 2016, she won an Obie Award. This was for her excellent performance in the play Familiar.

Personal Life and Charity Work

Tamara Tunie was married to Greg Bouquett from 1988 to 1991. Later, she was married to jazz musician Gregory Generet from 1995 to 2018.

Tamara is also known for her charity work. She supports programs like Figure Skating in Harlem. She also helps Harlem Stage/The Gatehouse and God's Love We Deliver. In 2005, the Mayor of New York City gave her an award. It was called the "Made in New York Award." This was for her support of film, television, and theater in Manhattan.

Filmography

As a director

See also

In Spanish: Tamara Tunie para niños