Tamara Braun

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Tamara Braun
Braun in 2016
Born (1971-04-18) April 18, 1971 (age 52)
Evanston, Illinois, United States
EducationEvanston Township High School
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active1997–present
Known forPerformance in American soap opera television
Television

Tamara Braun is an American actress known for her work on daytime television. She portrayed the role of Carly Corinthos on General Hospital from 2001–2005 and Reese Williams on All My Children from 2008 to 2009. In 2009, Braun won the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Ava Vitali on Days of Our Lives. She departed the series in 2008, briefly returning in the role of Taylor Walker during 2011. In 2015, Braun resumed the role of Ava as part of the series' 50th anniversary commemoration, remaining until 2016.

In 2017, 12 years after exiting her role as Carly on General Hospital, Braun returned to the soap as Kim Nero, the single mother of Oscar, the boyfriend of Carly’s daughter Josslyn. In 2020, Braun received her second Daytime Emmy for her work as Kim. That same year, Braun transitioned to Days of Our Lives to reprise the role of Ava, which she left again in late 2022.

Early life and education[edit]

Tamara Braun was born in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, to a family of Jewish descent.[1][2] She attended Evanston Township High School. She was a psychology major at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and took a summer course in Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England before backpacking throughout Europe.

Career[edit]

Braun is well known for her win at the 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards, receiving the accolade of Outstanding Supporting Actress for the role of Ava Vitali on Days of our Lives. She is also well known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Carly Corinthos on the ABC soap opera General Hospital, a role she played from 2001 to 2005. As Carly, Braun was featured very prominently as a romantic partner of characters Sonny Corinthos, portrayed by Daytime Emmy winner Maurice Benard, and Lorenzo Alcazar, portrayed by Ted King.

After leaving General Hospital, Braun played the female lead in the independent movie Little Chenier, which was filmed in Louisiana in August 2005. Braun worked with a dialect coach to perfect a Cajun accent, and she altered her appearance by getting a bronzed tan and darkening her hair. Tamara appeared as pastry chef Rose on four episodes of the ABC sitcom Freddie as a romantic interest of both lead male characters. Tamara has also starred in the independent film Limbo Lounge, directed by Tom Pankratz. In 2006 and 2007 respectively, Braun appeared on the CBS hit shows Cold Case and Ghost Whisperer; in the former she portrayed a country singer who helped cover up the murder of a fellow singer in order to protect her career. Additionally, she appeared in the 2007 season premiere of Without a Trace.

In 2008, Braun joined the cast of the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives in the Emmy-winning role of Ava Vitali, a woman from long-time veteran Stephen Nichols' character Steve Johnson's past. She left the soap in August 2008, but would go on to win a Daytime Emmy award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Ava Vitali.

Later that year she joined the cast of All My Children as Reese Williams, her second soap opera role since leaving General Hospital in April 2005.

In July 2009, she landed the recurring role of Renee Ellen on the TNT show Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter.

On February 15, 2011, Soap Opera Digest announced Braun would return to Days of Our Lives, in the new role of Taylor Walker, replacing actress Natalia Livingston.[3][4][5] On June 7, 2011, Braun was let go from Days of Our Lives; she made her final appearance as Taylor on September 22, 2011.[6] In July 2015, it was announced that Braun would reprise her portrayal of Ava on Days of Our Lives, in celebration of the soap's fiftieth anniversary.[7] She departed the role in March 2016.[8]

In October 2017, Entertainment Weekly announced Braun would return to General Hospital once again, this time in a new role.[9] She made her first appearance as Kim Nero on November 22, 2017.[10] She left the role in 2019. The following year, it was announced she would return to Days of Our Lives as Ava. She returned to the role in November, 2020.[11]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Fallen Arches Jenny
2006 Little Chenier Marie-Louise LeBauve
2010 Limbo Lounge Anya
2014 Pretty Rosebud Candace
2017 Abduction of Angie June
2017 Stalked By My Ex Chloe Television film (Lifetime)

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1997 The Sentinel Stacey Neumann Episode: "Sleeping Beauty"
1997 City Guys Allison Episode: "The College Girl"
1997 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Tara Episode: "When She Was Bad"
1998 Party of Five Marcy Episode: "Parent Trap"
1998 The Magnificent Seven Virginia Episode: "Witness"
1998 7th Heaven Ellen Episode: "Let's Talk About Sex"
1998 Unhappily Ever After Nell / Lacy Episodes: "Love Letters", "Secrets"
1999 The Pretender Claire Dunning Episode: "Murder 101"
1999 DiResta Amanda Episode: "One Wedding and a Funeral"
2001 Off Centre Lisa Episodes: "Pilot", "Let's Meet Mike and Euan"
  • 2001–05, 2014
  • 2017–19
General Hospital
  • Regular role (515 episodes)
  • Series Regular
2005–06 Freddie Rose 4 Episodes
2006 House Grace Palmieri Episode: "House vs. God"
2006 Cold Case Edie Lowe Episode: "The Red and the Blue"
2007 Ghost Whisperer Brenda Sanborn Episode: "Deja Boo"
2007 Without a Trace Kate Douglas Episode: "Lost Boy"
2008, 2015–16, 2020– Present Days of Our Lives Ava Vitali Regular role
2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Coco Episode: "Bull"
2008–09 All My Children Reese Williams Regular role (82 episodes)
2009 Saving Grace Renee Ellen Episodes: "That Was No First Kiss", "Looks Like a Lesbian Attack to Me"
2009 Three Rivers Samantha Krauser Episode: "Where We Lie"
2011 Days of Our Lives Taylor Walker Regular role (138 episodes)
2012 Castle Natalia Roosevelt Episode: "Murder He Wrote"
2013 Necessary Roughness Ronnie Episode: "The Fall Guy"
2013 Supernatural Cindy Cassity Episode: "Trial and Error"
2017 Bosch Helen Archer Episode: "God Sees"
2019 The Rookie Elizabeth Ohlsen Episode: "Manhunt"
2023 Kombucha Cure Dr. Mara Cohen Series Regular Amazon Prime Original Series

Awards and nominations[edit]

List Of Acting Awards and Nominations
Year Film /TV Award Category Result
2000 General Hospital M.Y.S.O Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Won
2004 General Hospital Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
2005 General Hospital Soap Opera Digest Award Best Leading Actress in a Daytime Drama Won
2005 General Hospital M.Y.S.O Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Won
2007 Little Chenier Honolulu International Film Festival Best Actress Won
2007 Little Chenier Phoenix Film Festival Best Ensemble Cast Won
2007 Little Chenier Copper Wing Award Best Actress Nominated
2009 Days of Our Lives Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Won
2009 Days of Our Lives Soapy Television Awards Best Villain Nominated
2020 Death With Diginity Valley Theatre Award Lead Actress In A Play Pending
2020 General Hospital Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Won[12]
2020 General Hospital Soap Hub Awards Favorite General Hospital Actress Nominated
2021 Days of Our Lives Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
2021 Days of Our Lives Soap Hub Awards Favorite Days of Our Lives Actress Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Celebrity jews". 14 November 2003.
  2. ^ Bloom, Nate (14 November 2003). "Celebrity Jews". The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2006.
  3. ^ "Comings and Goings". Soap Opera Digest. Vol. 37. 8 March 2011. pp. 12, 13.
  4. ^ "Huge DAYS Casting Change!". Soap Opera Digest. Soap Opera Digest.com. 4 April 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  5. ^ Kroll, Dan J. (15 February 2011). "Natalia Livingston out, Tamara Braun to rejoin DAYS". Soapcentral. United States. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  6. ^ Fairman, Michael (7 June 2011). "BREAKING NEWS: Nadia Bjorlin, Tamara Braun, Bren Foster OUT at DAYS!". On-Air On-Soaps. United States: Michael Fairman Soaps, Inc. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  7. ^ SOD (6 July 2015). "TAMARA BRAUN BACK TO DAYS!". Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group Inc. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  8. ^ "Comings and Goings: Tamara Braun (Ava Vitali)". Soap Opera Digest. (Vol. 41, No. 10). 7 March 2016. p. 15.
  9. ^ Rice, Lynette (25 October 2017). "General Hospital is bringing back Tamara Braun". Entertainment Weekly. United States: Time Inc. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  10. ^ SOD (17 November 2017). "Exclusive First Interview: Tamara Braun On New GH Gig". Soap Opera Digest. United States: American Media, Inc. Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group Inc. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  11. ^ SOD (2 September 2020). "Exclusive! Tamara Braun Back to DAYS". Soap Opera Digest. United States: American Media, Inc. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Daytime Emmy Awards 2020 Nominations: The Complete List". emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 21 May 2020.
  13. ^ Montgomery, Daniel (2 September 2020). "1st Annual Soap Hub Awards decided by fans honored 'Days of Our Lives,' Steve Burton, Sharon Case and more". Gold Derby. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  14. ^ Montgomery, Daniel (2 September 2020). "1st Annual Soap Hub Awards decided by fans honored 'Days of Our Lives,' Steve Burton, Sharon Case and more". Gold Derby. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 3 September 2020.

External links[edit]

Preceded by Carly Corinthos actress
2001–2005
Succeeded by
Jennifer Bransford
Preceded by Taylor Walker actress
2011
Succeeded by
None