---
name: "Tonya Pinkins"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/tonya-pinkins"
fi1m_id: "tonya-pinkins"
imdb_id: "nm0684371"
tmdb_id: 170906
wikidata_id: "Q44036"
roles: []
born: "30 May 1962"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 60
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-25T01:52:14.129955+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Tonya Pinkins

## Identity

Tonya Pinkins

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/tonya-pinkins
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** tonya-pinkins
- **IMDb ID:** nm0684371
- **TMDB ID:** 170906
- **Wikidata ID:** Q44036
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonya_Pinkins, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44036, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0684371/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/170906

Actor. Born 30 May 1962 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

## Details

- **Born:** 30 May 1962, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Active:** 2007–2013
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 76 (1), 2010s 45 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonya_Pinkins, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44036, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0684371/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/170906

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Hostages*](https://film.one/tv/hostages.md) (45)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Tonya Pinkins is an American actress and filmmaker. Born on 30 May 1962 in Chicago, Illinois, she trained in acting at the Goodman Theatre Young People's Program while at high school and later studied at Columbia College Chicago, Carnegie Mellon University and California Western School of Law.

She is known for her extensive stage work, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in *Jelly's Last Jam* (1992) and receiving further Tony nominations for *Play On!* and *Caroline, or Change*. On television she has played Livia Frye in the soap opera *All My Children* and appeared in series including *24* (2009), *Gotham* (2015–2016) and *Hostages* (2013) as Beth Nix. Film credits include *Enchanted* (2007) and *The Book of Henry* (2017).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Hostages* (2013), Fi1m 45, as Beth Nix — [page](https://film.one/tv/hostages.md)
- *Enchanted* (2007), Fi1m 76, as Phoebe Banks — [page](https://film.one/film/enchanted.md)

## Complete filmography (53)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Life of Peter Gottlieb* (2024), as Dean Fendleman
- *East New York* (2022), series, as Shirley Haywood
- *Women of the Movement* (2022), series, as Alma
- *The Hunt for the Chicago Strangler* (2021), series, as Narradora
- *The Surrogate* (2021), as Karen Weatherston-Harris
- *Run the World* (2021), series, as Gwen Greene
- *Red Pill* (2021), as Cassandra
- *The School for Wives* (2020), as Arnolphe
- *The Artist's Wife* (2020), as Liza Caldwell
- *Wu-Tang: An American Saga* (2019), series, as Burgess
- *God Friended Me* (2018), series, as Marsha
- *Mr. Talented* (2018), as Valerie Brown
- *Random Acts of Flyness* (2018), series, as Ripa The Reaper
- *Aardvark* (2018), as Abigail
- *My Days of Mercy* (2018), as Agatha
- *The Book of Henry* (2017), as Principal Wilder
- *An Act of Terror* (2017), as Mary Church Terrell
- *Bull* (2016), series, as Judge Maynard
- *Collective: Unconscious* (2016), as Ripa the Reaper
- *Everybody Dies!* (2016), as Ripa the Reaper
- *11.22.63* (2016), series, as Mia Mimi Corcoran
- *Rasheeda Speaking* (2015), as Jaclyn
- *Fear the Walking Dead* (2015), series, as Martha
- *Gotham* (2014), series, as Ethel Peabody
- *Madam Secretary* (2014), series, as Susan Thomas, Susan Thompson
- *The Strain* (2014), series, as Francis
- *Home* (2013), as Esmin
- *Hostages* (2013), series, as Beth Nix — Fi1m 45, [page](https://film.one/tv/hostages.md)
- *Newlyweeds* (2013), as Patrice
- *Elementary* (2012), series, as Judge Marilyn Whitfield
- *Scandal* (2012), series, as Sandra
- *Nurse Jackie* (2009), series, as Charlane
- *Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom* (2008), as Mrs. Robinson
- *Enchanted* (2007), as Phoebe Banks — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/enchanted.md)
- *Army Wives* (2007), series, as Viola Crawford
- *Romance & Cigarettes* (2006), as Female Medic
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, as Det. Nora Bennett — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *The Closer* (2005), series, as Donna Taft
- *Cold Case* (2003), series, as Dina Miller
- *24* (2001), series, as Alama Matobo — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/24.md)
- *The Guardian* (2001), series, as Melinda Tralins
- *University Hospital* (1995), series, Actor
- *Against Their Will* (1994), as Sondra
- *Above the Rim* (1994), as Mailika
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Woman, Angela Young — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *See No Evil, Hear No Evil* (1989), as Leslie
- *Hotshot* (1987), Actor
- *Crime Story* (1986), series, as Junkie Prostitute
- *The Cosby Show* (1984), series, as Iris
- *American Dream* (1981), Actor
- *All My Children* (1970), series, Actor
- *Tango*, as Vivian
- *Angel City*, as Mam

## Gallery

- ![Tonya Pinkins](https://film.one/media/person/1683864/gallery-8956400f664e.jpg) Tonya Pinkins — Tonya Pinkins, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Tonya_Pinkins_Throws_Down_The_Gauntlet.jpg/1280px-Tonya_Pinkins_Throws_Down_The_Gauntlet.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Tonya Pinkins](https://film.one/media/person/1683864/gallery-13b19e9cb25e.jpg) Tonya Pinkins — Image via TMDB
- ![Tonya Pinkins](https://film.one/media/person/1683864/gallery-55c37948b8f5.jpg) Tonya Pinkins — Image via TMDB
- ![Tonya Pinkins](https://film.one/media/person/1683864/gallery-12f4aa5f2bfd.jpg) Tonya Pinkins — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 3 won, 2 nominated

- Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play 2015: Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play (won)
- Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress 2012: Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress (won)
- Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress 2004: Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress (won)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 2004: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1997: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/tonya-pinkins