Tracie Thoms is an American television, film, and stage actress and singer. She is known for her roles in Rent, Cold Case, The Devil Wears Prada, Death Proof, the Fox television series Wonderfalls; as of 2018 she has been a recurring cast member of the police and firefighter TV drama 9-1-1.
Tracie Thoms | |
|---|---|
 Thoms at the L.A. Confidential/Belvedere/Water Club/Sapporo Emmy party, September 20, 2008 | |
| Born | Baltimore, Maryland, US |
| Education | Howard University (BFA) Juilliard School (GrDip) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Early life and education
editThoms was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, daughter of Donald H. Thoms, a VP of Programming at PBS and television director, and wife Mariana Davis.[1][2][3] She has a younger brother, Austin. She started studying acting at age ten and later on attended the Baltimore School for the Arts.[4]
She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Howard University in 1997.[5] She then attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division as a member of Group 30 (1997–2001), which also included actors Lee Pace and Anthony Mackie.[6]
Career
editThoms is known for her role of Mahandra McGinty in the television show Wonderfalls. She also played the part of Sasha in the US version of the television series As If, which was cancelled after three episodes. In 2005, she was added to the cast of the CBS crime drama Cold Case, as the homicide detective, Kat Miller. Thoms has also made guest appearances on Law & Order and The Shield.
Thoms has appeared in several movies, most notably in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Rent in which she plays Joanne Jefferson, lawyer and lover of Maureen Johnson (Idina Menzel). She took over the role from Fredi Walker, who played Joanne in the original Broadway production of Rent but, at age 43, was deemed too old to reprise the role.[citation needed] Prior to being cast as Joanne, Thoms had considered herself a fan of the show, having seen it on Broadway several times.
She was featured in the 2002 Comedy Central film Porn 'n Chicken and the 2004 films Brother to Brother and The Warrior Class. Thoms appeared in the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada as Lily. Thoms has completed filming on the City Lights Pictures movie Descent along with Rent co-stars Wilson Jermaine Heredia and Rosario Dawson and will soon begin filming Jimmie with co-stars Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight. She appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, alongside Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Thoms made her Broadway debut in Regina Taylor's Drowning Crow. She has also appeared in several off-Broadway and regional productions, including Up Against the Wind (New York Theatre Workshop), The Oedipus Plays (The Shakespeare Theater), A Raisin in the Sun (Baltimore CenterStage) Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Missouri Rep), The Exonerated (Off Broadway's The Culture Project) and The Antigone Project (The Women's Project). On July 18, 2008, she joined the final cast of Rent starting July 26, 2008, reprising the character of Joanne, replacing Merle Dandridge. The final performance was made into a DVD: Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway.
Thoms reprised her role as Joanne for another production of Rent, directed by Neil Patrick Harris, at the Hollywood Bowl from August 6–8, 2010.[7]
In the fall of 2010 she appeared in the concert revue For The Record: Quentin Tarantino in Los Angeles, presented by ROCKLA for Show at Barre. It ran from August 12, 2010, to October 30, 2010, and also starred Jenna Leigh Green, Autumn Reeser, Ty Taylor, and Audra Mae. From November 2010 through January 2011, Thoms starred in Show at Barre's For The Record: John Hughes, alongside Barrett Foa, Von Smith and Ty Taylor. In 2011 she appeared at Show at Barre in the revue For the Record: Baz Luhrmann, from February 12, 2011, to June 30, 2011, with Jenna Leigh Green, Arielle Jacobs, Tinuke Oyefule and Kate Reinders.
She played Etta, Diana Prince's personal assistant, in NBC's Wonder Woman pilot.[8]
Thoms had a role in the 2014 version of Annie, playing Annie's "fake mother", a character based on Lily St. Regis in the original musical.[citation needed]
In 2016, she appeared in the Broadway revival of Falsettos as Dr. Charlotte.[9]
Since 2018, Thoms has played the recurring role of Karen Wilson in the Los Angeles first responders drama 9-1-1.
Awards
editIn 2016, Thoms was Emmy nominated in the Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series category for "Send Me: An Original Web Series" which was released on BET.com.[10][11][12]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Porn 'n Chicken | Andrea | TV movie |
| America's Most Terrible Things | Terri | TV movie | |
| 2004 | Brother to Brother | Mother | |
| 2005 | Everyone's Depressed | Crystal | Short |
| Rent | Joanne Jefferson | ||
| 2006 | The Devil Wears Prada | Lily | |
| 2007 | The Warrior Class | Thelma Rosbach | Video |
| Descent | Denise | ||
| Death Proof | Kim Mathis | ||
| Sex and Breakfast | Sarah, Female Tenant | ||
| 2008 | Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway | Joanne Jefferson | TV movie |
| 2009 | Peter and Vandy | Marissa | |
| 2010 | I Will Follow | Tiffany | |
| RENT at the Hollywood Bowl | Joanne | Video | |
| 2012 | Safe House | CIA Analyst | |
| Meeting Evil | Latisha Rogers | ||
| Looper | Beatrix, The Waitress | ||
| 2013 | Raze | Teresa | |
| McCanick | Sister Alice | ||
| A Different Tree | Jada | Short | |
| 2014 | Annie | Annie's "Mom" | |
| 2015 | Fun Size Horror: Volume One | Karen | |
| Fun Size Horror: Volume Two | Tommy | ||
| 2016 | Equity | Melanie | |
| The Drowning | Angela | ||
| The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story | Demetria | TV movie | |
| No Touching | Blair | Short | |
| Injection | Sarah Wenscombe | Short | |
| Divorce: The Greatest Hits | Helen | Short | |
| The Watcher | Amanda | ||
| A Christmas in New York | Katherine Taylor | ||
| 2017 | The Concessionaires Must Die! | Church Lady | |
| 2018 | Are We Good Parents? | Lauren | Short |
| Top Ramen | Opal | Short | |
| The Basement | Lauren | ||
| Pipe | Bliss | Short | |
| 2019 | Emmett | Sandra | |
| Straight Up | Dr. Larson | ||
| 2020 | The California No | Samantha | |
| Boss Bitch Fight Challenge | Tracie | Short | |
| aTypical Wednesday | Jason's Mom | ||
| (home)Schooled | Roberta | TV movie | |
| BTSD | Lia Lasley | Short | |
| 2021 | Yes Day | Billie/Concert Coordinator | |
| Bolivar | Susan Woods | ||
| 2022 | Back to Lyla | Dr. Nolan | |
| Elevate | Tiffany | Short | |
| Paulie Go! | Cheryl | ||
| Jerry & Marge Go Large | Maya | ||
| Blood Relatives | Ms. Shelling |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | As If | Sasha | Main cast |
| 2003 | The Shield | Bonnie | Episode: "Dominoes Falling" |
| 2004 | Wonderfalls | Mahandra McGinty | Main cast |
| 2005 | Law & Order | Linda Ziman | Episode: "Mammon" |
| Independent Lens | Mom On Subway | Episode: "Brother to Brother" | |
| 2005–10 | Cold Case | Kat Miller | Main cast: seasons 3–7 |
| 2008 | This Can't Be My Life | Rachel Brooks | Episode: "The Pink Pages" |
| 2009 | Private Practice | Colette | Episode: "Pushing the Limits" |
| 2010 | Human Target | Michelle | Episode: "Dead Head" |
| 2011 | Suits | Becky | Episode: "Tricks of the Trade" |
| Harry's Law | A.D.A. Katherine Kepler | Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2 | |
| Wonder Woman | Etta Candy | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Bandwagon: The Series | Tracie Thoms | Main cast | |
| 2012 | My America | Herself | Episode: "The Author's America" |
| 2013 | Emily Owens M.D. | Natalia Gorgia | Episode: "Emily and... The Teapot" |
| The Good Wife | Judy Bishop | Episode: "Runnin' with the Devil" | |
| Person of Interest | Monica Jacobs | Episode: "Trojan Horse" | |
| 2014 | Veep | Alicia Bryce | Episode: "Alicia" |
| Songbyrd | Clara Frye | Episode: “Pilot” | |
| Catfish: The TV Show | Herself | Episode: “Tracie & Sammie” | |
| 2015–16 | He's with Me | Naomi | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| 2016 | Send Me: An Original Web Series | Gwen | Main cast |
| Living with Models | Hatch Girl | Recurring cast: season 3 | |
| The Mindy Project | Kathy | Episode: "My Kid Stays in the Picture" | |
| BrainDead | Ashley Cook | Episode: "Taking on Water: How Leaks in D.C. Are Discovered and Patched" | |
| 2016–18 | Love | Susan Cheryl | Recurring cast |
| 2017 | American Gods | Buffer | Episode: "Lemon Scented You" |
| Live from Lincoln Center | Dr. Charlotte | Episode: "Falsettos" | |
| Criminal Minds | Monica Walker | Episode: “Unforgettable” & “Wheels Up” | |
| Wisdom of the Crowd | Special Agent Lydia Driscoll | Episode: "Denial of Service" | |
| 2017–18 | Gone | FBI Agent Maya Kennedy | Main cast |
| 2018 | UnREAL | Fiona Berlin | Recurring cast: seasons 3-4 |
| The First | Nancy | Recurring cast | |
| Grey's Anatomy | Roberta Gibbs | Episode: "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave" | |
| 2018–present | 9-1-1 | Karen Wilson | Recurring cast |
| 2019 | Abby's | Emily | Episode: "Book Club" |
| The Good Doctor | Patricia Reynolds | Episode: "Claire" | |
| The Affair | Joyce | Episode: "Episode #5.8" | |
| Mad About You | Dean Calhoun | Episode: "Restraining Orders and Puppies" | |
| 2019–23 | Truth Be Told | Desireé Scoville | Main cast |
| 2020 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Female Traveler | Episode: "Elizabeth, Margaret and Larry" |
| Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector | FBI Agent Cutter | Episode: "Game On" & "Open Warfare" | |
| Blindspot | FBI Director Arla Grigoryan | Recurring cast: season 5 | |
| NCIS: Los Angeles | Lt. Col. Lucilla Catro | Episode: "War Crimes" | |
| 2020–23 | Station 19 | Dr. Diane Lewis | Recurring cast |
| 2021 | Behind the Monsters | Herself | Main cast |
| Sidetracked | Leigh | Main cast | |
| 2021–22 | Family Guy | Pouncy/Beautiful Woman (voice) | Episode: "Family Cat" & "The Lois Quagmire" |
| 2022 | The Legend of Vox Machina | The Everlight (voice) | Episode: "A Silver Tongue" [13] |
| Love, Victor | Naomi | Episode: "It's You" | |
| Tab Time | Frieda Fraidy Cat | Episode: "When We Feel Afraid" | |
| Queen Sugar | Camille | Episode: "Never to Be the Same" & "Whisper to Us" | |
| Central Park | - | Episode: "The Puffs Go Poof" | |
| Beyond the Dark | Bliss | Episode: "Pipe" |
Documentary
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Good Hair |
Radio
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye | Kate Bishop |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Drowning Crow | Mary Bow | |
| 2008 | Rent | Joanne Jefferson | Broadway; Replacement[14] |
| 2010 | Rent | Joanne Jefferson | Hollywood Bowl |
| 2011–2012 | Stick Fly | Taylor | |
| 2014 | Lost Lake | Veronica | |
| 2016–2017 | Falsettos | Dr. Charlotte | Broadway revival |
References
edit- ^ Rousuck, J. Wynn (November 24, 2005). "After years of auditions, Baltimore-born actress Tracie Thoms finally gets her dream job.; 'Rent' check". The Sun. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
- ^ "McKinley Thoms, 92, machinist, caterer". The Baltimore Sun. May 7, 2006. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
- ^ "Thoms, Donald H - Who's Who Among African Americans | Encyclopedia.com". Archived from the original on October 27, 2014.
- ^ "Baltimore School For The Arts Remains A Magnet For Young Talent - CBS Baltimore". www.cbsnews.com. April 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "Photos: Famous Howard University Alumni and Former Students". nbc4Washington. March 2, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "Alumni News for May 2008". The Juilliard Journal. May 2008. Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
- ^ Piane, Charlie (April 30, 2010). "Brady, Tveit, Astin And Thoms Join RENT at Hollywood Bowl". BroadwayWorld.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 3, 2011). "Elizabeth Hurley & Tracie Thoms Join NBC's 'Wonder Woman'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 4, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (September 6, 2016). "Box Office Opens Today for Broadway Falsettos Revival". Playbill. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ^ "Tracie Thoms". Television Academy. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (July 14, 2016). "The 68th Annual Emmy Nominations: The Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Prudom, Laura (July 14, 2016). "Emmy Nominations 2016: Full List of Nominees". Variety. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan (January 20, 2022). "Critical Role's 'Legend of Vox Machina' Adds Stephanie Beatriz, David Tennant, Tony Hale and More as Guest Stars". Variety. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Varley, Eddie. "Tracie Thoms: RENT's 'Dream Girl'". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
External links
edit- Tracie Thoms Bio at CBS TV's Cold Case
- Tracie Thoms at IMDb
- Tracie Thoms at the Internet Broadway Database
- Official RENT Blog – Includes video blogs and short interviews with the RENT cast
