As a first time director, what ultimately lured you to direct VERONICA? I was lured by the siren call of Tanya Perez’s kickass-ery. Tanya sent a script and asked me to direct. I had never directed anything except some theater but she put her trust in me. After years of collaborating with her as an improviser I knew that she was capable of so much more than what she had been given the opportunity to do. Looking back, I think why the hell did it take so damn long for us to turn to each other and say “let’s make something!”? As you know,…
Author: Tonya Cornelisse
Tonya Cornelisse
Theatrically, Tonya has worked both on and Off-Broadway honing the stages of The Daryl Roth Theatre, The Cherry Lane, Labyrinth, The Public Theatre, E.S.T., Humana Festival, and many more. In Los Angeles: Sam Shepard's Buried Child at The Whitefire Theatre, IAMA Theatre Company. Tonya is a proud member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, where she can regularly be seen on stage in Los Angeles. Tonya has worked in over 30 films big & small including the upcoming THE VOYAGE OF DOCTOR DOLITTLE with Robert Downey Jr. and LOVE IS NOT LOVE.Other features: BENT, MOPE, GROW HOUSE, Nick Cassavetes’ YELLOW, PELÉ, CRAVE, & THE WOLVES OF SAVIN HILL. She garnered multiple awards from all around the world (including the BFI Award for Best Actress) for her performance in LIMINAL. Television shows include Catastrophe, Trial & Error, How To Get Away With Murder, Scandal, NCIS, Parks & Recreation, ER, Law & Order(s), The Wolfpack of Reseda and the series lead in two of FOX Searchlight’s Digital Webisodes including Crack Whore Galore & The Katie Kooter Show which she also created. In addition to her acting credits, Tonya has penned a number of screenplays, plays and short stories including Dog Lovers, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She works extensively in Voice Over including Voice of Lexus & Lipton Tea. Tonya is also an award-winning Narrator: TONYA'S NARRATION PROFILE
JANUARY 2016. BANG! That was how the year began and I like that. Scratch that, I love that! I have never been one to complain about “being to busy” – I’ve thrived off the high of the ride since birth, quite literally <insert big cheesy surfer or smiley or wave emoji>. The year started with a Scandal audition first up, and I booked it. That was nice, it was great. Moving on, the next week recorded a Lexus ad, the following week started on a pilot I am writing with my creative partner, meanwhile, editing my short film I co-wrote…
So, here is the deal with my column for this month: In October I went to Ireland for an amazing whirlwind of adventure… Rocked up to Kinnitty Castle, Co. Offaly, took it over, filled it with dear friends and family, had an amazing “night before”, got up the next day and GOT MARRIED!!!!! The wedding lasted basically a full 24 hours. As we were in the Dungeon Bar in the castle’s well, Dungeon, singing and dancing until 4 in the morning, then proceeded to get up the next morning and go horseback riding and clay pigeon shooting in full wedding…
At this time of year I always feel particularly aware of my mortality. It’s Fall. Autumn. The season when nature is in it’s golden years and starting to show signs of decline. It is my favorite time of year. The smell of burning leaves, crisp breeze that is on the turn to lion, the feel in one’s bones that …. Winter Is Coming. Oh, and Halloween!!! Even in Southern California I can feel the fall swirling deep within my soul. It also happens to be the time of year been a time where my creativity and productivity comes into full…
About four months ago I auditioned for a very big budget, studio movie in all of it’s glory. It was shooting off in a far away land and I had to go into Universal to put it on tape to then be sent to the Directors and Executive Producers already shooting in said far off lands … First, allow me to put a disclaimer on the vague description of this tale of mine: sorry to be so mysterious. Alas, this is truly the most accurate and honest way to describe the process from within my shoes. Okay, here is the…
Hi Peeps! So, I recently was shooting on the San Andreas Fault in the middle of the high desert. Now, for me that is the definition of hell. Not the shooting, the location. I am a fair-skinned redhead from the northeast coast, the sun et moi = no bueno. When I left my place at Sunset & Vine it was 5:40 in the morning and already the temperatures were creeping into the 80’s … Where we were headed was expected to get up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit at peak. The shoot was slated to go until after dark and it…
Hello Ms. In The Biz readers & Welcome to my monthly blog “Sunset & Vine” … Ironically, I am writing this first official one in jolly old England, in London-town, and am a transplant from NYC…err, so perfect! Alas, for the last five years I have resided at “Sunset & Vine” hence my blog’s name. So, I am in a pub right now called The Hereford Arms (natch!) ’people watching’ and let me tell you if there is ever a place for great faces it is London. I really do love it here, so much so that I am marrying…