Tonya Pinkins

Tonya Pinkins
Born (1962-05-30) May 30, 1962
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
Columbia College Chicago
California Western School of Law
Occupation Actress, Author
Years active 1980–present
Spouse(s) Ron Brawer (m. 1987–1993)
Hubert Kelley (m. 1984–1987)
Eric Winter (m. 2009-2014)
Children 4
Website http://www.tonyapinkins.com

Tonya Pinkins (born May 30, 1962) is an American television, film and theater actress and author known for her portrayal of Livia Frye on the soap opera All My Children and for her roles on Broadway. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards, and has won the Obie, 2 Lortel Awards, the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, AUDLECO, Garland, L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent and NAACP Theater Awards. She has been nominated for the Olivier, Helen Hayes, Noel, Joseph Jefferson, NAACP Image, Soap Opera Digest and Ovation awards. She won the Tony for Jelly's Last Jam.

Personal life

Pinkins was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father was a police officer and insurance salesman and her mother is a former postal worker. She has two brothers, Eric Swoope and Thomas Swoope and a sister Tamera Swoope from whom she is estranged. She was interested in the arts from a young age. In high school, she studied acting at the Goodman Theatre Young People's Program. Aged 18, she briefly attended college and decided to pursue an acting career instead. She later returned to college, earning an undergraduate degree from Columbia College in Chicago, followed by graduate work at Carnegie Mellon's music theater program, and a year at California Western School of Law in San Diego.

She has four children.

Career

Pinkins is probably most admired for her stage work. She won a Tony Award for her performance as Sweet Anita in Jelly's Last Jam. She was nominated for her roles in Play On! and in Caroline, or Change, where she played the title role. Her additional Broadway credits include Merrily We Roll Along, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, The Wild Party, House of Flowers, Radio Golf, A Time To Kill [1] and Holler If Ya Hear Me.

Pinkins has performed in several Off Broadway productions, including the comic role of Mopsa, the Shepherdess, in The Winter's Tale produced by the Riverside Shakespeare Company at The Shakespeare Center in 1983.[2]

In 2011, Pinkins starred in the world premiere of Kirsten Greenidge’s Milk Like Sugar at La Jolla Playhouse, and received a 2012 Craig Noel nomination for Best featured Actress in a Play. She reprised her role in the Playwrights Horizons in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater,[3] and garnered a 2012 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play.

In 2012 Pinkins starred in Katori Hall's play Hurt Village, the gritty drama about life and change in a Memphis housing project made its world-premiere at Off-Broadway's Signature Theatre Company as part of the theatre's inaugural season. The play also Marsha Stephanie Blake, Ron Cephas Jones, Saycon Sengbloh, Lloyd Watts, Charlie Hudson III, Nicholas Christopher, Corey Hawkins, Ron Cephas Jones and Joaquina Kalukango.[4]

In 2014, Pinkins appeared in New Federal Theatre's revival of Ed Bullins' The Fabulous Miss Marie opposite Roscoe Orman; in the Broadway production of Holler If Ya Hear Me; and the world premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' War at Yale Repertory.

She has also had a prolific television career making guest appearances on such television shows as Army Wives, 24, Law & Order, The Cosby Show, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, and The Guardian among others.[5] During the mid-1980s Pinkins created the role of Heather Dalton on the CBS soap, As the World Turns. In 1991 she was cast as Livia Frye in All My Children. Pinkins left All My Children in 1995 but returned to her role in 2003. She was later put on contract with the show from March 2004 until June 2006, when she was downgraded to recurring status. She has played Amala Motobo on the popular television show 24. Since 2015 Pinkins has played Ethel Peabody on the television show Gotham.[5] In 2016 she played Mimi Corcoran on the Hulu science fiction limited series 11.22.63, based on the Stephen King book of the same name, and starring James Franco and Sarah Gadon.[5] On March 16, 2017 Pinkins portrayed Sandra in the ABC television series Scandal. She has also appeared in several films in supporting roles, including Newlyweeds, Home, Fading Gigolo opposite Woody Allen, Enchanted, Premium, Romance & Cigarettes, Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom and Above the Rim among others.[5] Pinkins performs several cabaret shows including Bring On The Men with Brad Simmons, Tonya Pinkins UnPlugged at The National Black Theater Festival and Hurricane Ethel.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1980 Growing Up Young Carol Short
1984 Beat Street Angela
1989 See No Evil, Hear No Evil Leslie
1994 Above the Rim Mailika
2000 Redemption Dr. Jones Short
2002 Love Hurts Auntie V
2004 Love, Mom Mom Short
2006 Premium Marva
2007 Enchanted Phoebe Banks
2008 Noah's Ark: Jumping the Broom Mrs. Robinson
2013 Newlyweeds Patrice
2013 Fading Gigolo Othella
2013 Home Esmin
2015 Ori Inu: In Search of Self Mama Lola Short
2016 Collective: Unconscious Ripa Segment: "Everybody Dies!"
2017 Aardvark Abigail
2017 Book of Henry, TheThe Book of Henry Principal Wilder
2017 Fearless Love Det. Cambridge Short, completed
2017 Mercy Agatha Post-production
2017 Act of Terror, AnAn Act of Terror Mary Church Terrell Short, post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1984–1986 As the World Turns Heather Dalton Recurring role
1986 Rage of Angels: The Story Continues Sharon TV film
1990 Cosby Show, TheThe Cosby Show Iris "Elvin Pays for Dinner"
1991–1994 All My Children Livia Frye Recurring role
1994 Against Their Will: Women in Prison Sondra TV film
1995 University Hospital Nurse Mary Jenkins Main role
2002 Guardian, TheThe Guardian Melinda Tralins "In Loco Parentis"
2004–2009 All My Children Livia Frye Recurring role
2005 Sleeper Cell Anita Al-Sayeed "Family"
2006 Criminal Minds Det. Nora Bennett "A Real Rain"
2006 Cold Case Dina Miller "The River"
2006 Law & Order Angela Young "Hindsight"
2007 Unfabulous Ms. Best "The Toot"
2008 Closer, TheThe Closer Donna Taft "Split Ends"
2009 24 Alama Matobo Guest role
2009 Army Wives Viola Crawford Recurring role
2013 Hostages Beth Nix "2:45 PM"
2015 Nurse Jackie Charlane "Deal", "Nice Ladies"
2015 For Justice Marian Horn TV film
2016 11.22.63 Mia Mimi Corcoran TV miniseries
2015–16 Gotham Ethel Peabody Recurring role
2016–17 Madam Secretary Susan Thompson "The Dissent Memo", "The Detour"
2017 Scandal Sandra "Extinction", "A Traitor Among Us", "Trojan Horse"
2017 Strain, TheThe Strain Francis "Belly of the Beast"
2017 Elephant in the Room, TheThe Elephant in the Room Mama TV film, post-productin

Awards and honors

References

  1. ↑ Playbill News: Her Shining Hour: Tonya Pinkins Sings Arlen
  2. ↑ For a photo of Tonya Pinkins in the role of Mopsa in The Winter's Tale, see Riverside Shakespeare Company
  3. ↑ Broadway.com Staff. "Tony Winner Tonya Pinkins to Star in Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights Horizons". Broadway.com, September 23, 2011
  4. ↑ Blank, Matthew (February 23, 2012). "PHOTO CALL: Tonya Pinkins, Saycon Sengbloh and More in Katori Hall's Hurt Village". Playbill.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Tonya Pinkins on IMDb
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