Tammy Lynn Michaels
Encyclopedia
Tammy Lynn Michaels also known by the surname Etheridge after marrying Melissa Etheridge
, is an American
actress.
Michaels was a regular cast member on the Warner Brothers Network television show Popular
and guest-starred on the Showtime drama The L Word
.
to pursue it. She attended AMDA
and completed three semesters but suffered a leg injury and withdrew from the school before graduation. While working as a bartender at a restaurant she was discovered by Alayne Skylar, a talent scout.
After moving to Los Angeles
, Michaels landed the role of Nicole Julian on Popular
.
In 2002, Michaels guest-starred on the Fox
show That '80s Show
, followed by a guest appearance in 2004 on the Showtime drama the The L Word
. In 2005, she played the character Tess on the NBC
series Committed.
In 2003, Michaels played the role of Max in the short-film D.E.B.S.
The film received several awards and was later expanded to a feature-length film of the same name and released in 2004. However, most of the short-film actresses in the original D.E.B.S. were replaced for the expanded version, including Michaels.
After taking a break from acting to concentrate on parenthood, Michaels is returning the big screen as a lead in the lesbian romantic comedy Nicest Thing. The film is slated to begin shooting in Spring 2010 and is to be directed by Amanda Bearse
.
figure. She married rock
singer Melissa Etheridge
on September 20, 2003. In April 2006, the couple announced that Michaels was pregnant with twin
s via an anonymous sperm donor. Michaels gave birth to daughter Johnnie Rose and son Miller Steven on October 17, 2006. She has two stepchildren, born to Etheridge's ex-partner, Julie Cypher
, during their relationship; daughter Bailey and son Beckett, with sperm donated by musician David Crosby
.
Since 2005, Michaels has kept a weblog, in which she discusses politics, current events and her personal life.
On April 15, 2010, Melissa and Tammy Etheridge confirmed that they have ended their nearly nine-year relationship.
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress.
Michaels was a regular cast member on the Warner Brothers Network television show Popular
Popular (TV series)
Popular is an American teenage comedy-drama on The WB Television Network in the United States, created by Ryan Murphy and Gina Matthews, starring Leslie Bibb and Carly Pope as two teenage girls that reside on polar opposite sides of the popularity spectrum at their high school, but are forced to...
and guest-starred on the Showtime drama The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
.
Career
Michaels developed a passion for acting in junior high school and after graduating moved to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to pursue it. She attended AMDA
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
The American Musical and Dramatic Academy , is a college conservatory for the performing arts located in New York City and Los Angeles, California....
and completed three semesters but suffered a leg injury and withdrew from the school before graduation. While working as a bartender at a restaurant she was discovered by Alayne Skylar, a talent scout.
After moving to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Michaels landed the role of Nicole Julian on Popular
Popular (TV series)
Popular is an American teenage comedy-drama on The WB Television Network in the United States, created by Ryan Murphy and Gina Matthews, starring Leslie Bibb and Carly Pope as two teenage girls that reside on polar opposite sides of the popularity spectrum at their high school, but are forced to...
.
In 2002, Michaels guest-starred on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
show That '80s Show
That '80s Show
That '80s Show is an American sitcom that aired in half-hour long episodes from January through May 2002. Despite having a similar name, show structure, and many of the same writers and production staff, it is not considered a direct spin-off of the more successful That '70s Show, since the...
, followed by a guest appearance in 2004 on the Showtime drama the The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
. In 2005, she played the character Tess on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Committed.
In 2003, Michaels played the role of Max in the short-film D.E.B.S.
D.E.B.S. (2003 film)
D.E.B.S. is a 2003 action/comedy independent short film written and directed by Angela Robinson. D.E.B.S. made the film festival circuit including the Sundance Film Festival, L.A. Outfest and New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, receiving a total of seven film festival awards.D.E.B.S. is both a...
The film received several awards and was later expanded to a feature-length film of the same name and released in 2004. However, most of the short-film actresses in the original D.E.B.S. were replaced for the expanded version, including Michaels.
After taking a break from acting to concentrate on parenthood, Michaels is returning the big screen as a lead in the lesbian romantic comedy Nicest Thing. The film is slated to begin shooting in Spring 2010 and is to be directed by Amanda Bearse
Amanda Bearse
Amanda Bearse is an American actress, director and comedienne best known for her role as wacky neighbor Marcy D'Arcy on Married.....
.
Personal life
Michaels is openly gay and a well-known lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
figure. She married rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
on September 20, 2003. In April 2006, the couple announced that Michaels was pregnant with twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
s via an anonymous sperm donor. Michaels gave birth to daughter Johnnie Rose and son Miller Steven on October 17, 2006. She has two stepchildren, born to Etheridge's ex-partner, Julie Cypher
Julie Cypher
Julie Cypher, born August 24, 1964 in Wichita, Kansas, is best known as the former partner of Melissa Etheridge.Cypher attended the University of Texas at Austin. She married actor Lou Diamond Phillips in 1986. In 1988, Cypher met Etheridge while assisting on the music video for the song, "Bring Me...
, during their relationship; daughter Bailey and son Beckett, with sperm donated by musician David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
.
Since 2005, Michaels has kept a weblog, in which she discusses politics, current events and her personal life.
On April 15, 2010, Melissa and Tammy Etheridge confirmed that they have ended their nearly nine-year relationship.
External links
- Hollywood Farm Girl (Michaels' Weblog)