"Dietland" - An Interview with Tamara Tunie

Tamara Tunie and Julianna Margolis in, "Dietland" 

As if Tamara Tunie isn't busy enough the talented actress is on yet another TV series that is sure to have people talking!!! 

Award-winning actress Tamara Tunie has amassed an impressive body of work on the big and small screens as well as the stage. TV viewers will recognize her in shows such as Better Call Saul, Blue Bloods, Billions and 24, though she's probably best known as Dr. Melinda Warner in the hit series Law & Order: SVU, which is about to earn its spot in history as TV's longest-running drama series (tied with Law & Order and Gunsmoke.)

The cast of "Dietland" 

Now, Tamara stars alongside Joy Nash and Emmy Award®-Winner Julianna Margulies in AMC's wickedly funny new satire Dietland, based on Sarai Walker's best-selling, critically acclaimed novel.  From executive producer Marti Noxon (Mad Men, UnREAL), Dietland explores many issues faced by women today - including patriarchy, misogyny, rape culture and unrealistic beauty standards. The dark comedy follows Plum Kettle, ghost-writer for one of New York's hottest fashion magazines, as she struggles with self-image and sets out on a wildly complicated road to self-acceptance. At the same time, everyone is buzzing over news reports about men, accused of sexual abuse and assault, who are disappearing and meeting untimely, violent deaths. 

Tamara Tunie has also starred in films such as Flight with Denzel Washington; The Devil's Advocate opposite Charlize Theron; City Hall with Al Pacino; and The Caveman's Valentine opposite Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few. She's also a successful stage actress, having starred in Tony Award®-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan's Building the Wall; Danai Gurira's Familiar, for which she won an Obie; and Steven Soderbergh's The Library. She also starred in the first all African American production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and shared the Broadway stage with the late, great Lena Horne in the musical Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. 

TAMARA TUNIE played Dr. Melinda Warner on “Law & Order: SVU”

Tamara made her feature directorial debut in the indie romantic comedy See You in September, starring Estella Warren and Justin Kirk. On Broadway, she has produced hit productions including Magic/Bird, August Wilson’s Radio Golf (2007 TONY and Drama Desk Award Nominee for Best Play), and Spring Awakening (winner of the 2007 TONY Award for Best Musical and the 2007 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical). Currently, she is producing, and developing for Broadway, Frog Kiss: The Musical – a re-imagined “bed-time story” with a bawdy twist. Frog Kiss earned more citations for excellence than any other musical at the 2010 New York Musical Theater Festival.

Tamara extends herself beyond acting, producing and directing. She is deeply engaged in the community. She has served as chair emerita of the Board of Directors of Figure Skating in Harlem a nonprofit organization that teaches education and life skills to young girls through the art and discipline of figure skating. Tamara is also President of the Board of Directors at Harlem Stage/The Gatehouse a board member of God's Love We Deliver, and she serves on the Advisory Board of Hearts of Gold.

I spoke with Tamara via satellite about her busy life, the Law and ORder milestone and working on her new series Dietland! 

Dietland Premieres on Monday, June 4, at 9pm ET/PT only on AMC and can be seen in the U.S AND Canada