Born:
June 19, 1972
in
Chicago
Best Known For:
Prison Break and The Mentalist.
Early-life:
Robin Jessica Tunney was born on June 19, 1972, in Chicago. She caught the acting bug at an early age, and after graduating from Catholic high school, she took a year off to hone her drama skills. She studied with best friend Lara Flynn Boyle at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, while appearing in the plays Bus Stop and Agnes of God to help pay the rent. At 18, she moved to Los Angeles and started auditioning for parts in TV series.
Career:
Tunney landed roles in the TV shows Life Goes On, Class of '96, Law & Order, Dream On and JFK: Reckless Youth. She made her big screen debut in the Brendan Fraser offering California Man. Tunney also shaved her head for the 1995 movie Empire Records, won a Best Actress gong at the Venice Film Festival for Niagara, Niagara, and starred in cult fantasy The Craft. A string of hit-and-miss movies followed, including End of Days and Vertical Limit. She has also appeared in The In-Laws, Shadow of Fear, Paparazzi, House and The Zodiac. Other projects include the movie Open Window, cult series Prison Break and Hollywoodland, and enjoyed phenomenal worldwide success thanks to TV hit The Mentalist.
Quote:
On the type of roles she's offered: "I'm usually 'the strange best friend,' or 'the really troubled one'."
Trivia:
She enjoys playing poker, and came second in a celebrity charity event in 2006, losing out to Seinfeld star Jason Alexander.