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Robin Tunney

Robin Tunney

Birthday: 1972-06-19 | Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Robin Jessica Tunney (born June 19, 1972, height 5' 4" (1,63 m)) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Teresa Lisbon in the television series The Mentalist (2008–present), as well as previous roles in the films Encino Man (1992), Empire Records (1995), The Craft (1996), End of Days (1999), and Vertical Limit (2000), and the 2005–06 series Prison Break. Early life: Tunney was born in Chicago, Illinois to a car salesman father, and a bartender mother. Tunney is Irish American; her father was born in Straide, County Mayo, Ireland, while her maternal grandparents were from Clare Island. Tunney grew up in Orland Park, a southwest suburb of Chicago. She was raised Roman Catholic, attended Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park and the Chicago Academy for the Arts in Chicago, and resided in Palos Heights, also in the Chicago area. She is a cousin of Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney. Career: At the age of 19, Tunney moved to Los Angeles, California and obtained several recurring television roles on Class of '96, Law & Order, Dream On, and Life Goes On. She gave her breakthrough performance as a suicidal teenager in Empire Records and attracted further attention by playing a witch in The Craft. In 1997, Tunney starred in her husband at the time Bob Gosse's Niagara, Niagara with Henry Thomas in a performance which garnered her the Best Actress award Volpi Cup at the 1997 Venice International Film Festival. Tunney also was featured opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1999 supernatural action film End of Days. She starred in the pilot episode of House as a kindergarten teacher who collapses before her class and descends into aphasia; she was credited as a "special guest star". She portrayed Veronica Donovan on the first season of Prison Break, credited third after two main characters, and left the show after the premiere episode of the second season. She had a minor role in the film August released on July 11, 2008. Tunney is currently starring opposite Simon Baker in the CBS drama series The Mentalist, playing Teresa Lisbon. Personal life: Tunney married producer and director Bob Gosse on October 4, 1997; they divorced in 2006. In 2009, Tunney was engaged to Australian writer and director Andrew Dominik but they called off their engagement by August 2010. Tunney became engaged to interior designer Nicky Marmet on December 25, 2012 while on vacation in Rio de Janeiro.On June 28, 2006, Tunney won the fifth table of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown's eighth season, finishing ahead of Christopher Meloni, Macy Gray, Joy Behar, and Andy Dick, moving on to the final cut. The finale aired on July 5, 2006, where she competed against Jason Alexander, Michael Ian Black, Ida Siconolfi, and Keegan-Michael Key. Tunney came in second, behind Alexander. She played for The Children's Health Fund, which received $200,000 for her efforts. In August 2006, Tunney played in the World Series of Poker after having her entrance fee covered by the online cardroom PokerRoom.com.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2019
The Fix

as    Maya Travis

2018
Looking Glass

as    Maggie

2018
Monster Party

as    Roxanne Dawson

2015
My All American

as    Gloria Steinmark

2012
See Girl Run

as    Emmie

2009
The Burning Plain

as    Laura

2009
Passenger Side

as    Theresa

2008
August

as    Melanie Hanson

2008
The Two Mr. Kissels

as    Nancy Keeshin

2008
The Mentalist

as    Teresa Lisbon

2006
Open Window

as    Izzy

2006
The Zodiac

as    Laura Parish

2006
Hollywoodland

as    Leonore Lemmon

2005
Runaway

as    Carly

2004
Paparazzi

as    Abby Laramie

2004
Shadow of Fear

as    Wynn French

2002
Cherish

as    Zoe

2002
Intimate Affairs

as    Zoey

2000
Vertical Limit

as    Annie Garrett

1999
End of Days

as    Christine York

1998
Montana

as    Kitty

1998
Niagara, Niagara

as    Marcy

1998
Naked City: Justice with a Bullet

as    Merri Coffman

1997
Julian Po

as    Sarah

1996
The Craft

as    Sarah

1995
Empire Records

as    Debra

1993
JFK: Reckless Youth

as    Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy

1992
Encino Man

as    Ella