RESUME & BIO
Tonya recently wrapped on the film "Crave" with Ron Perlman slated for 2010 and also just completed work on a few exciting new pilot projects with Fox! Earlier this year she was seen in a juicy guest starring role on "N.C.I.S." as Kayla Vacari, a prison inmate convicted for manufacturing meth, and the indie horror flick, "Body of Work." Previously this year, she filmed leading roles in both "Bottled Up" & "Liminal," the latter was screened at over 75 film festivals worldwide and she was awarded Best Actress at the Chicago Film Festival and Italy's LIFF. She also wrote and starred in "Dog Lovers," that she proudly premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. She recently shot a pilot to a web series entitled "My Big Bearth" and is currently shooting another web series called "We Are The Galores," both of which she has written with her partners in crime Danny Roew & Graham Sibley in Los Angeles. Soon she will be wrapping her role on the Twin Peaks inspired feature, "Blue of Noon."
To this day, Tonya is still recognized as Melissa in AT&T/Cingular’s dropped call campaign, “Two Day Rule." Tonya can also be regularly seen on Showtime, co-starring in the romantic horror flick, Zombie Honeymoon. Her other previous film credits include "Get a Job," Burty, The Gypsy Years, Spike Lee's 25th Hour, Ruby and 15 Minutes. In addition to her versatility, look closely for her as a Marilyn Monroe-like character in the dark comedy Underdogs. In the TV world, Tonya has guest starred on “E.R.,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “Strangers with Candy” and "As the World Turns." She also records voiceover for radio and animation, most notably the sci-fi web sensation “Afterworld.”
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 Association. She has performed on and off Broadway, including: The Long Acre, Circle in the Square, The Public Theatre, The Cherry Lane (with AR Gurney), Darryl Roth Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Looking Glass and more. Tonya holds a BFA from NYU and studies under acting coaches Harold Guskin, Bobby Moresco, George Dicenzo and when she’s lucky, the lovely Alan Arkin. With equal parts talent & passion she is one of the most exciting actresses emerging on the scene in Los Angeles. Alas, she currently lives in Hollywood.
