Amber Rose Tamblyn (born May 14, 1983) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American actress. She appeared on the soap opera General Hospital followed by a starring role on the television series Joan of Arcadia. She has branched out into film roles, appearing in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Grudge 2. Her most recent work includes a co-starring role in the upcoming film Beyond a Reasonable Doubt with Michael Douglas and in the cancelled television show The Unusuals.
Early life
Tamblyn was born in Santa Monica, California, the daughter of Russ Tamblyn, an actor, dancer, and singer, and Bonnie Murray, a singer, teacher, and artist.[1] Her paternal grandfather, Eddie Tamblyn, was a vaudeville performer. At the age of ten, she played Pippi Longstocking at the Santa Monica Alternative School House; her father's agent, Sharon Debord, was attending as a family friend and ended up convincing her father to allow Tamblyn to go on auditions.
Television
Tamblyn first tv role was Emily Bowen (later known as Emily Quartermaine) on the soap opera General Hospital, a role that she played for six years (from 1995 to 2001). She also starred in the pilot episode of the revived Twilight Zone series on UPN in 2002.
Tamblyn became better known playing Joan Girardi, a teenage girl who receives frequent visits from God, on the CBS drama series Joan of Arcadia. Tamblyn's father made several appearances as God in the form of a dog walker on the show, which ran from 2003 to 2005.
Tamblyn was supposed to return to CBS in the 2007 pilot Babylon Fields, an apocalyptic comedic drama about the undead trying to resume their former lives.[2] However, the network excluded the show from its Fall 2007 programming lineup, since it would compete with the network's other undead-themed drama, Moonlight.[3]
Tamblyn currently stars in The Unusuals, playing NYPD homicide detective Casey Shraeger in this crime drama.[4]
Notable guest roles include Buffy the Vampire Slayer (playing Janice Penshaw, the best friend of Dawn Summers), as well as Boston Public, CSI: Miami, and Punk'd (where Ashton Kutcher and his crew members tricked her into losing someone else's dog).
Awards and nominations
The role of Joan Girardi earned her both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations in 2004. Tamblyn was also nominated for a Saturn award for Best Actress In a Television Series in both 2004 and 2005, winning in 2004 Other nominations include The Teen Choice Awards, The Golden Satellite Awards and The Young Artist Award.
Films
Tamblyn launched her film career playing bit parts in her father's movies: Rebellious and Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard. She also appeared in 1995's Live Nude Girls.
Her first major film role was in 2005's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, co-starring Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Blake Lively. She also starred in its 2008 sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Her horror film career began with the opening scene of 2002's The Ring. Tamblyn's also appeared in the Japan-set The Grudge 2, a sequel to The Grudge. The film, which also stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, was released on October 13, 2006, and debuted in the #1 spot at the North American box office. Tamblyn, who learned about Japanese culture while filming the role, agreed to star in the film because she had wanted to play the lead in a horror film.[5]
In August 2006, Tamblyn won the Bronze Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival for her performance in the title role of Stephanie Daley. The film, which also won an award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, features Tamblyn as a 16-year-old who kills her baby moments after giving birth in the bathroom of a ski resort. She was also nominated for Best Actress at the Independent Spirit Awards. The film also stars Tilda Swinton and Timothy Hutton.
Tamblyn will next appear in Spring Breakdown, also featuring Amy Poehler and Rachel Dratch,[6] and Blackout, a thriller by Italian writer Gianluca Morozzi, in which her character will be trapped in an elevator for nearly 24 hours.[7]
In January 2008, Tamblyn appeared in the Hallmark movie, The Russell Girl about a woman suffering from disease and mental anguish.
Poetry
Tamblyn has self-published two chapbooks of poetry, Of the Dawn and Plenty of Ships, and has participated in poetry readings at various venues, particularly in California. The Loneliest, a poem book inspired by Thelonious Monk and his music, was published in 2005 and contains haiku poetry written by Tamblyn and coupled with collages by George Herms. Only 300 copies of the book were published.
In 2005, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing published a book of poems that she wrote over the span of seven years entitled Free Stallion. The School Library Journal's review states that, "Free Stallion is a compilation of poetry that amounts to a portrait of the artist as a teenager.... Many of the selections are appropriately self-absorbed but move beyond journalistic catharsis to real insight and stunning language for one so young."
In October 2006, Tamblyn did several poetry readings in California, including a few with poet Derrick Brown. In 2008, she was featured in the Write Bloody Publishing anthology, The Last American Valentine: Illustrated poems to seduce and destroy.
Tamblyn appears in an upcoming poetry concert film recorded on August 4, 2007 in Los Angeles, "The Drums Inside Your Chest." Premiere date: April 26, 2009 at the Newport Beach Film Festival. [8]
A new collection of poetry, Bang Ditto, is forthcoming in September 2009 from Manic D Press.
Personal life
She has been a vegetarian since 2005 (stating that what keeps her from becoming a vegan is her taste for cheese.)
In February 2005, Tamblyn was threatened by a stalker. He pledged to "torture her for a million years" and "drill things into her kneecaps," among other acts of violence. Frightened, Tamblyn phoned the police. A restraining order was issued forbidding the man from coming within 100 yards of her.[9]
Tamblyn is an atheist. She is the goddaughter of actors Dean Stockwell and Dennis Hopper and musician Neil Young. Her uncle is Larry Tamblyn, who was keyboardist in the 60s rock band The Standells. Stockwell and her father, Russ Tamblyn, appeared together in the film The Boy with Green Hair and in the Quantum Leap episode "Thou Shalt Not...".
Filmography
Films
TV series
She also was in an episode of the Twilight Zone called Evergreen (The Twilight Zone)
References
External links
