| This biography of a living person does not cite any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately. (July 2008) | Tamara Lou Tunie (born 14 March 1959) is an American actress, best known for her work as medical examiner Melinda Warner on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She is also well known for her portrayal of lawyer Jessica Griffin McKechnie Harris on the soap opera As the World Turns from 1986 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2007. (From 2000 - 2007, she played both characters simultaneously.) Life and career Tunie was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and grew up in Homestead,[1] the daughter of Evelyn (née Hawkins) and James W. Tunie.[2] She was raised in the funeral home of her father, who worked as an undertaker. Tunie went to Carnegie Mellon University for acting and graduated in 1981. Tunie is known to nighttime audiences for her roles on detective crime dramas. She played the recurring role of Lillian Fancy on NYPD Blue from 1994 to 1997. She briefly appeared as Alberta Green in the first season of 24 and played a power lesbian in an episode of Sex and The City. Tunie joined the cast of As the World Turns as Jessica Griffin in 1986, and was involved in a number of front-burner storylines including an interracial romance and later marriage (a subject that was, in the 1980s, was less commonplace on soaps than it is today), and her character's being named District Attorney. She left the soap in 1995 to pursue other projects, but returned to As the World Turns as a recurring character in 1999. In 2000, she joined the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as medical examiner Melinda Werner initially as a recurring character, and later becoming a series regular. She continued to appear on both As the World Turns and SVU simultaneously through 2007 (possible, as both series were filmed in New York City); in 2006, her character graduated from recurring to series regular on SVU (at that time, beginning to appear in the opening credits), and the following year she left As the World Turns. Tunie started her career with bit parts in films like Sweet Lorraine and Wall Street. Her most notable role in film was in Eve's Bayou, in which she narrated the story. Other notable film credits include The Devil's Advocate and Snake Eyes. Tunie has also produced the Tony Award-winning Broadway production Spring Awakening. She also sang "We Should Be Together For Christmas" for the A Soap Opera Christmas album. Tunie has completed her directorial debut with the 2010 romantic comedy See You In September. Filmography | Year | Film | Role | Notes | | 1987 | Sweet Lorraine | Julie | | Wall Street | Carolyn | | 1989 | Bloodhounds of Broadway | Cynthia Harris | | | 1993 | Rising Sun | Lauren Smith | | | 1996 | Quentin Carr | Detective | | | Rescuing Desire | Van | | | City Hall | Leslie Christos | | | The Money Shot | | | 1997 | Spirit Lost | Anne | | | Eve's Bayou | Narrator | Voice | | The Peacemaker | Jody | | | The Devil's Advocate | Mrs. Jackie Heath | | | 1998 | Snake Eyes | Anthea | | 2001 | The Caveman's Valentine | Sheila | | | 2007 | AfterLife | Nicole | Television | Year | Film | Role | Notes | | 1986 | Spenser: For Hire | Nina | Episode: "Shadowsight" | | 1987-07 | As the World Turns | Jessica Griffin | | | 1989 | Family Feud | Herself | Episode: "The Young & the Restless vs. As the World Turns" | | 1993 | Tribeca | Tori | Episode: "The Box"
Episode: "Honor" | | 1994-97 | NYPD Blue | Lillian Fancy | Episode: "Up on the Roof" ('94)
Episode: "Good Time Charlie" ('94)
Episode: "Caulksmanship" ('96)
Episode: "Taillight's Last Gleaming" ('97)
Episode: "I Love Lucy" ('97) | | 1995 | SeaQuest DSV | Laura | Episode: "The Siamese Dream"
Also known as SeaQuest 2032 | | 1995-98 | New York Undercover | Janice/Lana Brooks | Episode: ""Bad Girls" ('95 as Janice)
Episode: "Sign o' the Times" ('98 as Lana Brooks) | | 1996 | Swift Justice | Jessie McKenna | Episode: "Bad Medicine" | | Law & Order | Caroline Bennett | Episode: "Deadbeat" | | Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault | Miss Marcus | HBO TV film | | 1997 | Prince Street | | Episode: "Pilot" | | Feds | Martha Kershan | Episode: "Missing Pieces" | | Chicago Hope | Lennie Gaghan | Episode: "Leggo My Ego" | | 1999 | Sex and the City | Eileen | Episode: "The Cheating Curve" | | 2000 | The American Experience | Self | Voice
Episode: "Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory" | | 2000–present | Law and Order: SVU | Dr. Melinda Warner | Recurring 2000-2005, receives star billing as of 2005 | | 2001 | A Day's Work, a Day's Pay | Narrator | Documentary | | 2002 | 24 | Alberta Green | Episode: "9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m."
Episode: "10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m."
Episode: "11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m."
Episode: "12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m."
Episode: "1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m."
Episode: "2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m." | | 2003 | Nefertiti: Resurrected | Narrator | Documentary | | 2005 | I Love the '90s: Part Deux | Herself | VH1 Documentary | | Party Planner with David Tutera | Herself | Episode: "Tamara Tunie's Fire & Ice Party" | | The Tony Danza Show | Herself | Episode: "#1.124" | | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Dr. Melinda Warner | Episode: "Day" | | 2006 | Black Sorority Project: The Exodus | Spirit | Documentary/voice | | 2008 | After Hours with Daniel Boulud | Herself | Reality TV
Episode: "Bayona" | | 2010 | Showing Up | Herself | Documentary | Producer | Year | Film | Role | Notes | | 2010 | See You in September | Executive Producer and Director | | References - ^ Varley, Teresa (2009). "Talking Steelers Football with Tamara Tunie". Steelers Digest 22 (15): 25.
- ^ http://www.filmreference.com/film/51/Tamara-Tunie.html
External links - Tamara Tunie at the Internet Movie Database
- Tamara Tunie at the Internet Broadway Database
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