(Her)story
"I can honestly say that I would not be the person I am today, had it not been for my faith in God, my family, my team, my friends, the incredible support from fans, and the military. I believe the blessings from those experiences of being a military dependant makes me the artist that I am today. I believe having an understanding of different cultures, thought processes, and respect for others’ opinions is essential to never judge the character you portray."
Known for her portrayal of a diverse range of characters on the stage and screen, American actor Tamara Austin is quickly making a name for herself in Hollywood. Tamara Austin, the eldest of two children, was born on October 10th in Misawa, Japan. Her mother, Renee (Toulon), is a US Vet, and her father, Martin Austin, is a retired Chief MSGt in the US Air Force. The family relocated often, spending the early years of her life overseas during her father's military career in England, Germany, and Okinawa, Japan.
Once her family moved to San Antonio, Texas when she was in 8th grade, she could finally put into practice her love of acting since classes were not offered overseas. From then on she continued her acting into her high school education at Randolph High School in San Antonio, Texas and moved to Florida to complete her studies at Fort Walton Beach High School.
She attended The University of Tampa, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Acting and a Bachelor of Mass Communication in Film/Media Arts. It was here where she crossed the Tau Iota Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc, where she continued her fight for racial and social injustice. She finally found her place at the Performer Studio Workshop in Tampa, Florida where she continued her training in the business of working as a Union Member with SAG-AFTRA.
Austin made her big-screen debut with a small role as a nurse's assistant to Ashley Judd in
Dolphin Tale 2. Shortly afterward, she made her TV debut in a recurring role as Maria, a witch traveler on The Vampire Diaries. She followed up this performance with supporting roles in other TV shows, films, and national commercials such as DoubleTree, Wawa, Publix, Prevacid, Chrysler, and Home Depot . Tamara has had the honor to work alongside Ulrich Thomsen (Banshee), Connie Britton (Nashville), Michelle Dockery and Terry Kinney (Good Behavior), Bow Wow (In Broad Daylight) , Kellie Pickler (Christmas at Graceland & Wedding at Graceland), Phylicia Rashad (David Makes Man), Abigal Spencer (Reprisal), Danai Gurira and the entire cast of The Walking Dead, as well as Tom Holland in Cherry directed by The Russo Brothers.
