Tonya Pinkins

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 (winning one), and has won Obie, Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, AUDLECO, Garland, L.A. Drama Critics Circle, 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 Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jelly's Last Jam.

Tonya Pinkins
Pinkins on her YouTube channel in 2017
Born (1962-05-30) May 30, 1962
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materCarnegie Mellon University
Columbia College Chicago (BA)
California Western School of Law
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
  • author
Years active1980–present
Websitetonyapinkins.com

Early life and education

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 and Thomas Swoope, and a sister Tamera Swoope.

Pinkins was interested in the arts from a young age. At Whitney Young Magnet High School, she participated in the theater program and also studied acting at the Goodman Theatre Young People's Program. She attended Carnegie Mellon University's BFA Musical Theatre program, but was cast in Merrily We Roll Along and decided to pursue her career, instead.[1]

Pinkins later returned to college, earning an undergraduate degree in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago in 1996, followed by a year at California Western School of Law in San Diego.

Career

Pinkins 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,[2] 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.[3]

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,[4] 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.[5]

In 2014, she 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 also made guest appearances on such television shows as Army Wives, 24, Law & Order, The Cosby Show, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, and The Guardian among others.[6]

During the mid-1980s Pinkins created the character 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 played Amala Motobo on 24. Pinkins played Ethel Peabody on the television show Gotham.[6] 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.[6] On March 16, 2017, she portrayed Sandra in the ABC television series Scandal.

Pinkins has 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.[6]

Pinkins has performed in several cabaret shows including Bring On The Men with Brad Simmons, Tonya Pinkins UnPlugged at The National Black Theater Festival and Hurricane Ethel.

Pinkins wrote, directed, and starred as Cassandra in Red Pill, to be released in 2020.[7]

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 Arc: 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!"
2016 Fearless Love Det. Cambridge Short
2017 Aardvark Abigail
2017 The Book of Henry Principal Wilder
2017 My Days of Mercy Agatha
2017 An Act of Terror Mary Church Terrell Short
2018 Write When You Get Work Roberta Simmons
2019 The Artist's Wife Liza Caldwell
2020 Red Pill Writer, Direct, Cassandra

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 The Cosby Show Iris "Elvin Pays for Dinner"
1991–1994,
2004–2009		 All My Children Livia Frye Regular role
1993 Strapped A.T.F. Officer TV film
1994 Against Their Will: Women in Prison Sondra TV film
1995 University Hospital Nurse Mary Jenkins Main role
2002 The Guardian Melinda Tralins "In Loco Parentis"
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 The Closer Donna Taft "Split Ends"
2009 24 Alama Matobo 4 episodes
2009 Army Wives Viola Crawford Recurring role; 5 episodes
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; 4 episodes
2015–16 Gotham Ethel Peabody Recurring role; 11 episodes
2016–19 Madam Secretary Susan Thompson 10 episodes
2017 Scandal Sandra "Extinction", "A Traitor Among Us"
2017 The Strain Francis "Belly of the Beast"
2018 Random Acts of Flyness Ripa The Reaper 3 episodes
2018 Elementary Judge Marilyn Whitfield "Fit to Be Tied"
2018 Fear the Walking Dead Martha 6 episodes
2019 NCIS: New Orleans Julie "Reckoning"
2019 Bull Judge Maynard "When the Rains Came"
2019 Wu-Tang: An American Saga Burgess "Impossible"
2020 Katy Keene Busker "Pilot"
2020 God Friended Me Marsha 3 episodes
2021 Women of the Movement Alma Carthan 6 episodes

Awards and honors
  • 2015 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play - Rasheeda Speaking
  • 2015 Drama Desk Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Play - Rasheeda Speaking
  • 2014 Audelco Nomination - Best Lead Actress - The Fabulous Miss Marie
  • 2012 Craig Noel Nomination - Best Featured Actress in a Play - Milk Like Sugar
  • 2010 Helen Hayes Nomination - Best Actress in a Play - Black Pearl Sings
  • 2008 Ovation Nomination - Best Actress in a Play - And Her Hair Went with Her
  • 2007 What's On Stage Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical in London - Caroline, or Change
  • 2007 Audience Choice Award for favorite Featured Actress in a Play - Radio Golf
  • 2007 Olivier Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change
  • 2005 NAACP Theater Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change
  • 2004-2005 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award - Lead Actress for Caroline, or Change
  • 2004 Backstage “Garland Award” - Outstanding Performance for Caroline, or Change
  • 2004 Audelco Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change
  • 2004 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change
  • 2004 Tony Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change
  • 2004 Outer Critics Circle Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change
  • 2004 Drama Desk Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change
  • 2004 Drama League Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change
  • 2003-2004 Obie Award - Best Actress in a Musical - Caroline, or Change
  • 1998 Black Theater Alliance Nomination, Best Featured Actress for Play On!, Goodman Theater, Chicago
  • 1998 Joseph Jefferson Nomination, Best Actress in a Musical for Play On!, Goodman Theater, Chicago
  • 1997 Tony Award Nomination, Best Actress in a Musical for Play On!, Broadway
  • 1992 Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jelly's Last Jam, Broadway
  • 1992 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image Nomination, Best Actress in a Daytime Drama for All My Children
  • 1992 Tony Award, Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jelly's Last Jam, Broadway
  • 1992 Drama Desk Award, Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jelly's Last Jam, Broadway
  • 1992 Clarence Derwent Award, Most Promising Actress of the Season for Jelly's Last Jam, Broadway
  • 1992 Monarch Award, Best Actress in a Musical for Jelly's Last Jam, Broadway
  • 1992 Soap Opera Digest Nomination, Best Featured Actress in a Daytime Drama for All My Children

References
  1. Tonya Pinkins: A Diva, Absolutely!, edgemedianetwork.com; accessed March 31, 2018.
  2. Playbill News: Her Shining Hour: Tonya Pinkins Sings Arlen Archived 2012-07-19 at Archive.today
  3. For a photo of Tonya Pinkins in the role of Mopsa in The Winter's Tale, see Riverside Shakespeare Company
  4. "Tony Winner Tonya Pinkins to Star in Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights Horizons". Broadway.com, September 23, 2011.
  5. Blank, Matthew (February 23, 2012). "PHOTO CALL: Tonya Pinkins, Saycon Sengbloh and More in Katori Hall's Hurt Village". Playbill.com.
  6. Tonya Pinkins at IMDb
  7. Ramos, Dino-Ray (2020-07-07). "Tonya Pinkins' Thriller 'Red Pill' Puts A Frightening Lens On The 2020 Election". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
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