VITAL STATISTICS
Birthday: March 14
Marital Status: To Gregory Generet since October, 1995
Children: None
BIOGRAPHY
Born into a family of five children outside of Pittsburgh, PA, Tamara Tunie was raised in the funeral accueil where her father worked, a childhood that she insists was actually quite normal. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Carnegie-Mellon University, was discovered par an agent while doing summer stock and soon moved to New York City, which would become her beloved new hometown. ("My mother will say I was born in Pittsburgh, but I was a New Yorker from jour one," she has said). plus than 20 years after arriving in the Big Apple, Tunie has become a quintessential New York actress, appearing constantly in theater and as a guest ou recurring character on just about every télévision series filmed there, including the role of Jessica. She played the strong, no-nonsense lawyer from 1987-95 and again from 1999 to the present, despite working steadily in prime-time, theater and film. She is also an accomplished singer. She and her seconde husband, Generet, a jazz vocalist/post-production videotape editor, live in Harlem.
TRIVIA
— Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for The Caveman's Valentine
— Played Maggie the Cat in the first all-African-American production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
— Is on the board of directors for Figure Skating in Harlem, a nonprofit arts and education organization that supports girls 6-16 in After School programs.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
TV Roles
NEFERTITI: RESURRECTED (Narrator, 2003)
24 (Alberta, 2001-02)
LAW & ORDER: SVU (Medical Examiner Warner, 2000-present)
SEX AND THE CITY (guest star, 1999)
NEW YORK UNDERCOVER (guest star, 1998, 1995)
CHICAGO HOPE (guest star, 1997)
FEDS (guest star, 1997)
PRINCE rue (guest star, 1997)
REBOUND: THE LEGEND OF EARL "THE GOAT" MANIGAULT (Miss Marcus, 1996)
LAW & ORDER (guest star, 1996)
rapide, swift JUSTICE (guest star, 1996)
SEAQUEST DSV (guest star, 1995)
NYPD BLUE (Lillian, 1994-97)
SPENSER: FOR HIRE (guest star, 1986)
Film RolesThe Caveman's Valentine (Sheila, 2001)
Snake Eyes (Anthea, 1998)
The Devil's Advocate (Jackie, 1997)
The Peacemaker (Jody, 1997)
Eve's Bayou (Narrator, 1997)
Quentin Carr (Detective, 1996)
Rescuing Desire (Van, 1996)
Spirit Lost (Anne, 1996)
The Money Shot (1996)
City Hall (Leslie, 1996)
Rising Son (Lauren, 1993)
Bloodhounds of Broadway (Cynthia, 1989)
mur rue (Carolyn, 1987)
Sweet Lorraine (Julie, 1987)
MEMORABLE QUOTES
"She seems a little one-dimensional to me at times because she is just so wise." — on Jessica, Soap Opera Digest, 5/29/90
"I find it sad that [an interracial relationship] is still an issue that has to be addressed, like teenage alcoholism ou the incest storyline.... Wouldn't it be ideal to just deal with two people who l’amour each other? When Duncan was involved with Shannon, it was never an issue that he was from Scotland and she was from South Philly." — Soap Opera Weekly, 10/15/91
"I l’amour to go to L.A. to work, and I have many Friends out there, but it doesn't feed me like New York. I've been here 20 years this month, and I still walk down the rue and get a rush. Just standing on the block, I have the international community around me, and I l’amour that. toi don't get that anywhere else. It is the greatest city in the world." — Digest, 11/20/01
Birthday: March 14
Marital Status: To Gregory Generet since October, 1995
Children: None
BIOGRAPHY
Born into a family of five children outside of Pittsburgh, PA, Tamara Tunie was raised in the funeral accueil where her father worked, a childhood that she insists was actually quite normal. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Carnegie-Mellon University, was discovered par an agent while doing summer stock and soon moved to New York City, which would become her beloved new hometown. ("My mother will say I was born in Pittsburgh, but I was a New Yorker from jour one," she has said). plus than 20 years after arriving in the Big Apple, Tunie has become a quintessential New York actress, appearing constantly in theater and as a guest ou recurring character on just about every télévision series filmed there, including the role of Jessica. She played the strong, no-nonsense lawyer from 1987-95 and again from 1999 to the present, despite working steadily in prime-time, theater and film. She is also an accomplished singer. She and her seconde husband, Generet, a jazz vocalist/post-production videotape editor, live in Harlem.
TRIVIA
— Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for The Caveman's Valentine
— Played Maggie the Cat in the first all-African-American production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
— Is on the board of directors for Figure Skating in Harlem, a nonprofit arts and education organization that supports girls 6-16 in After School programs.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
TV Roles
NEFERTITI: RESURRECTED (Narrator, 2003)
24 (Alberta, 2001-02)
LAW & ORDER: SVU (Medical Examiner Warner, 2000-present)
SEX AND THE CITY (guest star, 1999)
NEW YORK UNDERCOVER (guest star, 1998, 1995)
CHICAGO HOPE (guest star, 1997)
FEDS (guest star, 1997)
PRINCE rue (guest star, 1997)
REBOUND: THE LEGEND OF EARL "THE GOAT" MANIGAULT (Miss Marcus, 1996)
LAW & ORDER (guest star, 1996)
rapide, swift JUSTICE (guest star, 1996)
SEAQUEST DSV (guest star, 1995)
NYPD BLUE (Lillian, 1994-97)
SPENSER: FOR HIRE (guest star, 1986)
Film RolesThe Caveman's Valentine (Sheila, 2001)
Snake Eyes (Anthea, 1998)
The Devil's Advocate (Jackie, 1997)
The Peacemaker (Jody, 1997)
Eve's Bayou (Narrator, 1997)
Quentin Carr (Detective, 1996)
Rescuing Desire (Van, 1996)
Spirit Lost (Anne, 1996)
The Money Shot (1996)
City Hall (Leslie, 1996)
Rising Son (Lauren, 1993)
Bloodhounds of Broadway (Cynthia, 1989)
mur rue (Carolyn, 1987)
Sweet Lorraine (Julie, 1987)
MEMORABLE QUOTES
"She seems a little one-dimensional to me at times because she is just so wise." — on Jessica, Soap Opera Digest, 5/29/90
"I find it sad that [an interracial relationship] is still an issue that has to be addressed, like teenage alcoholism ou the incest storyline.... Wouldn't it be ideal to just deal with two people who l’amour each other? When Duncan was involved with Shannon, it was never an issue that he was from Scotland and she was from South Philly." — Soap Opera Weekly, 10/15/91
"I l’amour to go to L.A. to work, and I have many Friends out there, but it doesn't feed me like New York. I've been here 20 years this month, and I still walk down the rue and get a rush. Just standing on the block, I have the international community around me, and I l’amour that. toi don't get that anywhere else. It is the greatest city in the world." — Digest, 11/20/01
'I grew up in a funeral accueil so I've been around dead people my entire life. Being in a morgue was nothing new to me," notes Tamara Tunie, who plays medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner, on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.' The daughter of an undertaker adds, 'Let's just say I'm very respectful and careful with my corpses.'
Though most actors find the medical dialogue to be difficult, Tunie embraces the challenge. 'I actually really enjoy the challenge of saying all of those medical terms. It keeps me on my toes and it makes me aware that my brain is still valuable.' Her character certainly has a lot plus to say since being bumped up to the status of series regular. 'I thought, 'It's about time!' she says with a laugh. Tunie worked on the montrer for six years as a guest star. She says her costars are happy for her. In fact, she relates, once when she inadvertently took one of Chris Meloni's lines, he started teasing her par calling her 'Ms. Series Regular.'
Though most actors find the medical dialogue to be difficult, Tunie embraces the challenge. 'I actually really enjoy the challenge of saying all of those medical terms. It keeps me on my toes and it makes me aware that my brain is still valuable.' Her character certainly has a lot plus to say since being bumped up to the status of series regular. 'I thought, 'It's about time!' she says with a laugh. Tunie worked on the montrer for six years as a guest star. She says her costars are happy for her. In fact, she relates, once when she inadvertently took one of Chris Meloni's lines, he started teasing her par calling her 'Ms. Series Regular.'
Published: Sunday, September 11, 1988
Tamara Renee Tunie, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Tunie of Homestead, Pa., was married in Pittsburgh yesterday to Gregory T. Bouquett, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Gaston Bouquett of Dayton, Ohio. The Rev. Gerald Chapman, a Baptist minister, officiated in the Heinz Memorial Chapel at the université of Pittsburgh. Mrs. Tunie-Bouquett, who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, is a télévision and stage actress. Mr. Bouquett, the owner of the Uptown Atlanta Nightclub, graduated from Wright State University.
Tamara Renee Tunie, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Tunie of Homestead, Pa., was married in Pittsburgh yesterday to Gregory T. Bouquett, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Gaston Bouquett of Dayton, Ohio. The Rev. Gerald Chapman, a Baptist minister, officiated in the Heinz Memorial Chapel at the université of Pittsburgh. Mrs. Tunie-Bouquett, who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, is a télévision and stage actress. Mr. Bouquett, the owner of the Uptown Atlanta Nightclub, graduated from Wright State University.