Take the BuddyTV Personality Quiz: Which Prison Break Character Are You? Robin Tunney's versatility has not only landed her roles alongside such actors as Michael Douglas, and Ed Harris, but has also made her a "treasured jewel" in the independent film world. With each edgy, powerful, comedic and sometimes quirky performance, she is defining herself as one of Hollywood's leading actresses. One of Tunney's most challenging roles was that of the character Marcy, a young woman with Tourette Syndrome, in Bob Gosse's critically acclaimed film Niagara, Niagara. Her performance earned her the Best Actress-Cuppa Volpe at the 1997 Venice Film Festival, as well as a 1999 Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead.
Robin Tunney is an Irish American, and was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 19, 1972. She graduated from Carl Sandburg High School in 1990, and continued her studies at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. She pursued her interest in acting and moved to Los Angeles, California to make it in the entertainment business. She then obtained several recurring television roles, including some on Class of ’96, Life Goes On, Law & Order, and Dream On. Tunney broke through the movie industry playing a suicidal teenager in the film Empire Records, as well as a powerful witch in the cult film The Craft. She underwent changes in her appearance for her roles, like shaving her head for Empire Records and wearing a wig in The Craft. Tunney soon got a major role on television’s Prison Break, playing the over-achieving Veronica Donovan on the Fox series. Her other TV appearances include House M.D., The Twilight Zone, and voicing characters on the animated Seth Green series Robot Chicken. She has also landed the role of Teresa Lisbon on the series The Mentalist, and was cast in such films like August, Zodiac, and Runaway. Tunney was also able to land a part in the comedy Passenger Side, starring Adam Scott and Joel Bissonnette.