Tamara Taylor Explained

Tamara Taylor
Birth Date:27 September 1970
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:Actress
Yearsactive:1987–present

Tamara Taylor (born September 27, 1970) is a Canadian actress.[1] She appeared in the role of Dr. Camille Saroyan, head of the Forensic Division, in the forensic crime drama Bones.[2] She also appeared in season seven of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., in which she played Sibyl, one of the two main antagonists. She also starred in the first two seasons of .[3]

Early life and career

Taylor was born in Toronto to a Bajan father and a Scottish mother. She dropped out of high school to try modeling and see the world, with her mother supportive of her decision: "School will always be there, she told me."[4]

She has appeared in the CBS medical drama 3 lbs as Della and the UPN series Sex, Love & Secrets in the role of Nina; both series were short-lived.

Taylor has made guest appearances on NCIS, Numb3rs, Lost, , Without a Trace, Party of Five and Dawson's Creek. In her feature film debut, Senseless, she played Marlon Wayans's love interest.[5] She portrayed Debrah Simmons in the 2005 romantic-comedy Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Halle Berry's best friend in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and had a brief role in Serenity, the movie conclusion of the TV series Firefly by Joss Whedon. Through her part in Serenity, Taylor was able to audition for a show with actor David Boreanaz, who had previously worked with Whedon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. She also appeared in the TV series Lost, as the former girlfriend of Michael and mother of Walt.

She first appeared in Bones in the first episode of the second season, "The Titan on the Tracks", portraying the character Dr. Camille Saroyan. In the first six episodes of the season, she was credited as a guest star because creator and writer Hart Hanson had planned to kill her off in episode 12 when Howard Epps, a recurring serial killer, poisoned her, to create more tension and drama between the two main characters, but the response to her character was so strong that the writers offered her a position as a recurring regular in the show. Thus, from the following episode, "The Girl with the Curl", she was credited as a main character for the remainder of the series.

Tamara Taylor later recurred on the final season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. portraying secondary antagonist Sibyl.

In October 2022, it was announced that Taylor would join the final series of the FX series Snowfall in an as-yet unannounced role.[6]

Personal life

Taylor is a second cousin by marriage to Neve Campbell, with whom she appeared on Party of Five.[7] Taylor married attorney Miles Cooley in 2007, later divorcing in May 2012.[8]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1998SenselessJanice Tyson
2005Diary of a Mad Black WomanDebrah Simmons
SerenityTeacher
2007Gordon GlassKaren
2011ShuffleLinda
2015Bekka / Wonder WomanVoice, direct-to-video
Reluctant NannyAndrea Moore
2017August FallsMina
2022Diary of a SpyAnna

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991data-sort-value="Different World, The" A Different WorldRoast AttendeeUncredited
Episode: "Never Can Say Goodbye"
1992Freshman DormCarlaEpisode: "The Scarlett Letter"
1996–1997Party of FiveGrace Wilcox16 episodes
1998Dawson's CreekLaura Weston2 episodes
1999Early EditionMeredith ArmstrongEpisode: "Blowing Up is Hard to Do"
ProvidenceTracy DoyleEpisode: "The Phantom Menace"
Introducing Dorothy DandridgeGeri NicholasTelevision film
2000City of AngelsDr. Ana Syphax14 episodes
2002–2003Hidden HillsSarah Timmerman18 episodes
2003MiraclesDr. Linda QualeyEpisode: "The Ferguson Syndrome"
EverwoodDr. LenceEpisode: "Daddy's Little Girl"
BeckerDana McCallEpisode: "The Unbelievable Wrongness of Talking"
Without a TraceTracy McAllisterEpisode: "Trip Box"
2004data-sort-value="District, The" The DistrictAgent Midge HalpernEpisode: "A.K.A."
Six Feet UnderInez Episode: "Bomb Shelter"
Dr. Leslie HarrisonEpisode: "Crime Wave"
One on OneJudyEpisode: "Who Brought the Jive Turkey?"
2005LostSusan Porter2 episodes
Sex, Love & SecretsNina8 episodes
2005–2006NCISSpecial Agent Cassie Yates2 episodes
2006NumbersOlivia RawlingsEpisode: "The O.G."
3 lbsDellaEpisode: "Lost for Words"
2006–2017BonesDr. Camille Saroyan223 episodes
2015Hell's KitchenHerselfEpisode: "4 Chefs Compete"
Bekka / Wonder WomanVoice
Episode: "Big"
2018Altered CarbonOumou Prescott5 episodes
2019data-sort-value="L Word: Generation Q, The" MayaEpisode: "Lapse in Judgement"
2020October FactionDeloris Allen10 episodes
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.Sibyl5 episodes
2021–2022Angela Wheatley15 episodes
2021Angela WheatleyEpisode: "The People v. Richard Wheatley"
2023SnowfallCassandra Turner5 episodes

Notes and References

  1. Web site: wetpaint. 15 November 2011. Tamara Taylor – Bones. 4 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130204110427/http://www.wetpaint.com/bones/cast/tamara-taylor. dead.
  2. Web site: Fox. 13 November 2011. Tamara Taylor Biography. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111114003134/http://www.fox.com/bones/bios/tamara-taylor.php. 14 November 2011.
  3. News: 'Law & Order: Organized Crime': Tamara Taylor Joins NBC's 'SVU' Spinoff . 2 February 2021 . Nellie . Andreeva . Deadline Hollywood . https://web.archive.org/web/20210317161949/https://deadline.com/2021/02/law-order-organized-crime-tamara-taylor-cast-nbc-svu-spinoff-1234685824/ . 17 March 2021 . live.
  4. Web site: Bones' Tamara Taylor has overcome shyness and orthodontia to conquer Hollywood. May 9, 2012. Tamar Abrams. Huffington Post. May 31, 2012. May 14, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120514115654/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamar-abrams/tamara-taylor_b_1499764.html. live.
  5. Web site: Filmbug. 13 November 2011. Tamara Taylor Biography. 1 April 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140401083339/http://www.filmbug.com/db/222414. live.
  6. News: Cordero . Rosy . 2022-10-06 . 'Snowfall': Tamara Taylor Joins Sixth & Final Season Of FX Series . en-US . Deadline . 2022-12-11.
  7. Web site: People Magazine. Mary Margaret. Bones Actress Tamara Taylor Gets Married. July 17, 2007. May 31, 2012. March 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225936/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20046858,00.html. dead.
  8. Web site: Bones Star Tamara Taylor Finalizes Divorce. May 30, 2012. Ulrica Wihlborg. People.com. May 31, 2012. April 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160427213818/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20599722,00.html. dead.