Biography for
Robin Tunney More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

19 June 1972, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Height

5' 4" (1.63 m)

Mini Biography

Robin Tunney studied acting at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, spending her summer performing in such plays as "Bus Stop" and "Agnes of God". She moved to Los Angeles at the age of eighteen and shortly landed roles in such television shows as "Life Goes On" (1989), "Class of '96" (1993) (recurring), "Law & Order" (1990), HBO's "Dream On" (1990) and the ABC mini-series J.F.K.: Reckless Youth (1993) (TV), in which she played "Kit Kennedy". The Craft (1996) was Tunney's first film lead though she has appeared in many supporting roles.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Bob Gosse

(4 October 1997 - 26 January 2006) (divorced)

Trivia

She had to wear a wig during the production of The Craft (1996) because she shaved her head for her role in Empire Records (1995), which was filmed a year earlier.

Grew up with Lara Flynn Boyle and attended high school together at the prestigious Chicago Academy for the Arts.

Is best friends with Indie Rocker Liz Phair.

Born in Chicago, Illinois to a car salesman father and a bartender mother, and grew up on the South Side of Chicago.

Irish American; her father emigrated from Ireland and her mother is a first generation Irish-American.

Was voted in "Maxim Hot 100 2001: #81" May 2001.

Was voted under "The 25 Sexiest Women of 2005 - #15: Robin Tunney" in Celebrity Sleuth (USA).

Robin's earliest passion was basketball, a dream that ended when she severely injured her knee in her freshman year in high school, requiring reconstructive surgery.

Was voted #59 on "The 2000 Maxim Hot 100: Maxim's Hottest Babes of 2000".

Personal Quotes

I was always brought up to say please and thank you and always tell the truth, and people were saying, "Oh my God, what's going to happen with your character next year [on "Prison Break" (2005)]?' and I wasn't allowed to say, so I felt really guilty because I was lying to all these people, including my neighbors. You know, the character had its run, and I was really happy to be part of a show that was so successful and that people loved so much, but there was really nothing else for her to do.

You know, I think my attitude would have stopped me a little bit. I always had a stance like, you know, fuck Maxim. You know, I was supposed to be on the cover and my publicist set up the shoot behind my back and I was like, "There is no fucking way I am wearing my underpants on the cover of a magazine; they can go fuck themselves." Sexuality in that way and women using it has been around for forever, but it seems now with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, it seems that now in order to be successful you need to look like you want to have sex with every guy. I don't get it.

[about shaving her head for "Empire records"] I was a child model and my mom would never let me do anything I wanted like cut my hair or get my ears pierced or any of those phases. I was 21 and for the first time I did something I was dying to do. I had always wanted to do something aberrant like that. I loved having it for a while, but by the end everyone saying "Excuse me, sir" was kind of annoying. I wasn't thinking about it in terms of some sort of feminist stance. I thought that if you were going to do it, the opportunity of doing it on film was also pretty cool.

I gotta tell you, I like to play the cards. I don't have any time anymore like I used to. When I was unemployed sometimes I would be at the casino in the middle of the day. One of my favorite moments on the The Mentalist was when we did an episode we shot at a casino in Los Angeles. The [assistant director] came up to me and said, "Wait till you see the people in there. Total degenerate gamblers. It's terrifying." And I went to sit and play some hands at lunch and I knew like five people [laughs]. It's fun. You have to be completely engaged. But it's an incredibly chauvinist game. I played in it and didn't think about the implications at the time, but they separate the men and the women at the [World Series of Poker]. They have a separate event for "ladies," like there is a difference. It's so 1950s.