Tonya Pinkins is an American actress and filmmaker who has worked as a singer, director, producer, actress, and educator for more than 40 years.
Her critically acclaimed first feature film, Red Pill, was nominated for multiple awards at festivals across the world and was an official selection at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival.
It also won Best Black Lives Matter Feature, Best First Feature at the Mykonos International Film Festival, and Best First Feature at the Luléa Film Festival.
Tonya is well-known for her roles on Broadway and for playing Livia Frye in the serial opera All My Children.
In addition to winning the Obie, Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, AUDLECO, Garland, L.A. Drama Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent, and NAACP Theater Awards, she has been nominated for three Tony Awards, winning one out of the number.
The NAACP Image, Soap Opera Digest, Olivier, Helen Hayes, Noel, Joseph Jefferson, and Ovation Awards are among the honors for which she is a nominee.
For Jelly’s Last Jam, she was awarded the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
Tonya Pinkins has made several contributions to TV, movies, and the arts.
Afrobeatsplus.news looks at some interesting facts about her remarkable career, with BET as the source.
She’s highly awarded and decorated.
She has received several nominations and won almost every American theater award. She has won numerous awards, including the NAACP Theater Award, a TONY, an Obie, a Drama Desk, and more.
She appeared in iconic productions.
She starred in several films before Marie Willis, including “All My Children,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” “The Cosby Show,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” and others.
She’s a Fulbright Specialist.
To create, organize, and carry out academic planning, the Fulbright Specialist Program is a network of academics and professionals who are authorities in their fields.
Check out Red Pill, the movie.
Red Pill, the screenplay for her directorial debut, has won multiple festival honors for outstanding feature, director, and writing.
She’s a champion of theater education.
Pinkins is now leading Fordham University at Lincoln Center’s Denzel Washington Chair, it was just announced. Denzel Washington, a 2011 Fordham graduate, founded the endowed chair.
As the 13th chair holder, Pinkins will offer advice and criticism to students as they hone their performing abilities in the fall.