1. Early life and background
Newsome's formative years and academic pursuits laid the foundation for her multifaceted career in entertainment.
1.1. Early life and upbringing
Tawny Newsome was born on February 24, 1983, in the United States. She spent her early life growing up on a ranch in Vacaville, California.
1.2. Education
Newsome pursued her academic interests at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago. After completing her studies, she began her career in comedy with The Second City, a renowned improvisational comedy troupe, which helped hone her comedic skills and stage presence.
2. Career
Newsome's career spans various entertainment fields, including acting, music, podcasting, and writing, demonstrating her versatility and broad appeal.
2.1. Acting
Newsome has established herself as a notable actress in both television and film. Her early significant television roles included Chelsea Leight-Leigh on Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ and Nina on The Comedy Get Down. She was also part of the main cast of Brockmire for its third season, playing Gabby Taylor. Newsome was cast in the 2019 ABC pilot Woman Up.
In 2020, she took on a lead role as Maj. Angela Ali in the Netflix series Space Force. Newsome is also a prominent voice actress, notably cast as a lead voice for the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Lower Decks, where she portrays Beckett Mariner. Her acting career also includes a role as a backup singer in a touring Talking Heads tribute band, which later led to her being cast in a similar role in Documentary Now!.
2.2. Music
Newsome is an accomplished musician in addition to her acting career. She is a member of the band Four Lost Souls, where she serves as a singer. The band also includes Jon Langford, Bethany Thomas, and John Szymanski. Four Lost Souls released their self-titled debut album in 2017. Prior to this, Newsome gained experience as a backup singer in a touring tribute band for Talking Heads.
2.3. Podcast and comedy
Newsome has a significant presence in the podcasting and comedy scene. Since 2018, she has been a co-host of the podcast Yo, Is This Racist? alongside Andrew Ti. This podcast critically examines various social issues through a comedic lens. She is also a frequent guest on other popular podcasts, including Comedy Bang! Bang! and Spontaneanation with Paul F. Tompkins. Since 2020, Newsome has also co-hosted Star Trek: The Pod Directive, the official Star Trek podcast, with comedian Paul F. Tompkins.
2.4. Writing
Newsome has expanded her creative contributions to include writing for television. She is a credited writer for the upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Furthermore, she is a co-creator of an untitled Star Trek comedy series, collaborating with Alex Kurtzman and Justin Simien.
3. Filmography
Tawny Newsome's extensive filmography includes roles in both feature films and television series, as well as writing credits.
3.1. Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Uncle John | Cute Hipster Girl | |
| 2016 | Einstein's God Model | Marcel Gutierrez | |
| 2018 | Canal Street | Kai | |
| 2019 | Spies in Disguise | Agency Employee #1 | Voice |
| 2021 | How It Ends | Celine | |
| 2021 | Vacation Friends | Brooke | |
| 2023 | Quiz Lady | Mercedes |
3.2. Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Chicago Fire | Jen | Episode: "A Problem House" |
| 2014 | Crisis | EMT | Episode: "Best Laid Plans" |
| 2015 | Sirens | Jami | Episode: "Balls" |
| 2016 | 2 Broke Girls | Chrissy | Episode: "And the Basketball Jones" |
| 2016 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Worried Mom | Episode: "Zach Galifianakis Wears Rolled Khakis and Shoes with Brown Laces" |
| 2016 | Take My Wife | Pam | Episode: "Punchline" |
| 2016 | Documentary Now! | Backup Singer | Episode: "Final Transmission" |
| 2016-2019 | Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ | Chelsea Leight-Leigh | 34 episodes |
| 2017 | Nobodies | Grace | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | The Carmichael Show | Jessica | Episode: "Three Year Anniversary" |
| 2017 | Do You Want to See a Dead Body? | Marion | Episode: "A Body and a High School Reunion (with Joe Lo Truglio)" |
| 2017 | The Comedy Get Down | Nina | 10 episodes |
| 2019 | Brockmire | Gabby Taylor | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle | Performer | Episode: "Money" |
| 2019 | HarmonQuest | Donna (voice) / Herself | Episode: "Ivory Quay" |
| 2019 | Big Mouth | (voice) | Episode: "Duke" |
| 2019 | Perfect Harmony | Georgia | 3 episodes |
| 2019-2020 | Craig of the Creek | Jasmine Williams (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2019-2022 | Sherman's Showcase | Various | 5 episodes |
| 2020 | Superstore | Isabel | Episode: "Zephra Cares" |
| 2020 | The Twilight Zone | Zara Delancey | Episode: "Ovation" |
| 2020 | Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun | The Queen | Episode: "Dinner Party" |
| 2020-2022 | Space Force | Angela Ali | Main role |
| 2020-2024 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Ensign/LtJG Beckett Mariner (voice) | Main role, 5 seasons |
| 2021 | True Story | Billie | 6 episodes |
| 2022 | Physical | Wanda | 5 episodes |
| 2022 | Tuca & Bertie | (voice) | Episode: "Leveling Up" |
| 2022 | Murderville | Mayor Palmer | Episode: "Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery" |
| 2023 | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Ensign Beckett Mariner | Episode: "Those Old Scientists" |
3.3. Writing credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | Writer | |
| TBA | Untitled Star Trek comedy series | Co-creator | With Alex Kurtzman and Justin Simien |
4. Personal life
Tawny Newsome currently resides in Los Angeles.
5. Awards and recognition
Newsome's work has garnered nominations and recognition within the entertainment industry. She was nominated for a Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Voice Actress in an Animated Series in 2021 for her role as Beckett Mariner in Star Trek: Lower Decks.