about

TONYA CORNELISSE is an award winning actress of stage and screen, as well as a critically acclaimed voiceover artist and writer. Tonya recurs on Showtime’s YELLOWJACKETS. She plays LIZ the comedy series HITMEN on SKY/ Peacock NBC. Tonya stars in the newly released feature film MARKED MEN based on the series of wildly popular novels of the same title.

Other recent tv and film work include SLUMBERLAND opposite Jason Momoa (Netflix), Nick Cassavetes’ GOD IS A BULLET, and the Sundance Film Festival darlings MOPE and LOVE IS NOT LOVE. On Amazon Prime, Tonya stars in the short-form series SISTERS. On TUBI TV, THE HOMEMADE SKETCH SHOW, Tonya shines as a series regular and writer of this homemade SNL style sketch show.

Tonya's roots are from the theatre, she has performed in numerous plays on and off-broadway in NYC and throughout the country. In November 2024, Tonya made her way back to the stage in London starring in UNTIL SHE SLEEPS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Cornelisse gives a Masterclass in Acting” -https://www.londontheatrereviews.co.uk/post.cfm?p=22445
A force in the theatre scene, Tonya was the recipient of the Best Supporting Actress award at The Humana Festival by the Actors theatre of Louisville and the Theatre Critics Circle Association. Broadway: revival of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” Off Broadway: The Public Theatre, the Cherry Lane Theatre, Darryl Roth Theatre, Atlantic Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The WhiteFire Theatre and more.  She is a proud member of Academy Award Winner Bobby Moresco’ Actors Gym and Ensemble Studio Theatre NY/LA. 

voiceover: An accomplished voice-over artist, she helmed the reigns for Lexus for 5 years. She is an award winning narrator for Penguin Random House, Audible and Findaway Voices amongst others. Tonya’s other campaigns include Dove, Lipton Tea, Hellman’s, & Nike. As a child, Tonya’s natural husky voice was often confused for her husky-framed father when answering the family phone.

writing: Tonya has penned a number of screenplays, plays and poems including Dog Lovers, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She created and wrote the award winning Fox Searchlight webisode turned rock musical CRACK WHORE GALORE. Her play BARBARIC THERAPY was commissioned to be developed with Ensemble Studio Theatre NY/LA.

training/education: Tonya hails from NYC's Tisch School of the Arts where she double majored in theatre and psychology. Studying Shakespeare through RADA’s intensive in NYC. Luck struck when she fell into the hands of her mentor Alan Arkin and performed in his long form improv troupe. Tonya studied privately with the late-greats acting maestros Harold Guskin, George DiCenzo & Stan Kirsch.

She is now based in London, but continues to work all over the world as it calls. She bunks up with her husband and her ginger goldendoodle TOAST!