Amber Tamblyn
Amber Tamblyn is an Emmy-nominated American actress, writer, and director, recognized primarily for her roles in the television series *Joan of Arcadia* and the films *The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants* and *127 Hours*. Born on May 14, 1983, in Santa Monica, California, she was introduced to acting at a young age, landing her first role on the soap opera *General Hospital* at twelve. Tamblyn achieved critical acclaim for her performance as Joan Girardi in *Joan of Arcadia*, earning an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress.
In addition to her acting career, Amber is also an accomplished author, having published several volumes of poetry and novels, including *Any Man* and *Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution*. She has explored various genres in her acting, from drama to horror, and has continued to work in both film and television throughout her career, including recent roles in *Y: The Last Man* and *You Hurt My Feelings*. Married to actor David Cross since 2012, Tamblyn is also a dedicated mother. Her contributions to the arts span both performance and literature, showcasing her diverse talents.
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Subject Terms
Amber Tamblyn
Actor
- Born: May 14, 1983
- Place of Birth: Santa Monica, California
Contribution: Amber Tamblyn is an Emmy-nominated American actor best known for her roles on the television show Joan of Arcadia (2003–5) and in the films The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) and 127 Hours (2010). Also a writer, she has published books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Background
Amber Rose Tamblyn was born on May 14, 1983, in Santa Monica, California. Her father, Russ Tamblyn, is an actor, and her mother, Bonnie Murray, is a folk singer and teacher.
Tamblyn became interested in performing at a young age, and she acted in school plays throughout elementary school. When she was in fourth grade, a talent agent who saw her play the lead role in Pippi Longstocking approached her about acting professionally. She took advantage of this opportunity near the end of elementary school.
Career
By the time Tamblyn was twelve years old, the agent had helped her land a part in a daytime soap opera as Emily Quartermaine in General Hospital. Tamblyn played the wayward young woman to critical acclaim from 1995 to 2001.
Following her departure from General Hospital, Tamblyn took a guest spot in a 2001 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the next year appeared in an episode of the drama Boston Public. She made her film debut in 2002 with a supporting role in the horror filmThe Ring, followed by an appearance in one segment of the anthology film Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet.
Tamblyn achieved mainstream television success again in 2003 when she began starring in the CBS family fantasy-drama Joan of Arcadia. Tamblyn played Joan Girardi, a young woman who lives in the titular fictional town of Arcadia, Maryland. Throughout the show, Joan is visited by numerous human incarnations of God, who task her with completing good works in repayment for allowing her brother to survive a car crash.
Joan of Arcadia was well received by critics, and in 2004, Tamblyn received an Emmy Award nomination for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. Though the series continued to enjoy widespread acclaim, its ratings began to suffer by its second season, and the show was cancelled in 2005 amid fan outcry.
Tamblyn kept busy following the show’s cancellation by transitioning back into film. In 2005, she appeared in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants as Tabitha “Tibby” Tomko-Rollins, one of four best friends who share a seemingly magical pair of jeans throughout their separate adventures in life. Tamblyn then appeared in a prominent role in the horror film The Grudge 2 (2006).
Over the next several years, Tamblyn starred in a number of independent films, including Stephanie Daley (2006) and Normal Adolescent Behavior (2007), as well as the horror film Blackout (2007) and the drama-thriller Spiral (2008). In 2008 she reprised her role of Tibby Rollins in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Tamblyn returned to television in 2009, starring as Detective Casey Shraeger in the short-lived American Broadcasting Company (ABC) comedic police procedural The Unusuals, which was cancelled after only ten episodes. The following year, she played a supporting role in the drama film 127 Hours (2010), based on the real-life survival story of mountaineer Aron Ralston. She also began recurring roles on the series The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret and House, MD, performing in multiple episodes of both shows over the next two years (her arc on House lasted largely through 2011 while she was brought back for a handful of episodes of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret in 2016 after having last appeared in 2012).
In 2012, Tamblyn guest starred in an episode of Portlandia and, with her father, made a cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s western film Django Unchained (2012). She appeared in an episode of Inside Amy Schumer in 2013.
In August 2013, it was announced that Tamblyn would join the cast of popular CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) sitcom Two and a Half Men as Jenny, the long-lost lesbian daughter of playboy Charlie, for the show’s eleventh season. In addition to portraying Jenny through 2014, she had roles in the films 3 Nights in the Desert, X/Y, and Growing Up and Other Lies all in that same year. She then had her first chance to both write and direct a film with 2016's Paint It Black, which was an adaptation of Janet Fitch's 2006 novel. Returning to just the role of acting, she appeared in the Netflix comedic drama Girlfriend's Day (2017) and the ensemble film Nostalgia (2018). Also in 2017, she took on the theater when she played a part in an Off-Broadway production of Can You Forgive Her?, a play by Gina Gionfriddo.
Tamblyn has also increasingly branched out into writing over her career. After publishing three volumes of poetry, Free Stallion (2005), Bang Ditto (2009), and Dark Sparkler (2015), she published her debut novel, Any Man, in 2018 as well as her first nonfiction work, Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution, in 2019.
Tamblyn continued to appear in television shows and films throughout the 2020s. In 2021, she took on the role of Kimberly Campbell Cunningham for the series Y: The Last Man. In 2023, she starred as Carolyn in the film You Hurt My Feelings.
Impact
Tamblyn has been acting since she was six years old, and over the years, she has grown into a highly talented dramatic actor. From her mature and emotional performances on Joan of Arcadia to her roles in various horror films, Tamblyn has proven herself to be a skilled and versatile actor.
Personal Life
Tamblyn married actor David Cross in October 2012. They had a daughter in 2017.
Bibliography
"Amber Tamblyn." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm0848554/?ref‗=nv‗sr‗srsg‗0‗tt‗2‗nm‗6‗in‗0‗q‗amber%2520tam. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
“Amber Tamblyn, David Cross Engaged.” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Bennett, Alanna. "Amber Tamblyn Is Finding Her Way in the Reckoning along with the Rest of Us." BuzzFeed News, 31 Jan. 2018, www.buzzfeednews.com/article/alannabennett/amber-tamblyn-finding-her-way-in-the-reckoning. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Cruz, Anne Marie. “Hollywood and Divine.” People. Time, 27 Oct. 2003. Web. 12 Aug. 2013.
McGlynn, Katla. “David Cross and Amber Tamblyn Found Love in the SkyMall Catalog.” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 May 2012. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Rosenblum, Emma. “She’s So Unusual.” New York Magazine. New York Media, 12 Apr. 2009. Web. 12 Aug. 2013.
“Two and a Half Men Casts Amber Tamblyn to Play Charlie’s Lesbian Daughter in Season 11.” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Vineyard, Jennifer. “Amber Tamblyn Explains Her Django Unchained Cameo.” Vulture. New York Media, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.