Skip to content
MovieCove
Tamara Tunie

Tamara Tunie

Actor, also producer and director · Born March 14, 1959 (67) · McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA

Independent Spirit Award nominee

Tamara Tunie is an American film and television actress, producer and director, best known for her portrayal of attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and as medical examiner Melinda Warner on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 14, 1959 (67)
From
McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer and director
Titles
51 on MovieCove · 66 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 27% in 30 days

What are Tamara Tunie's films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
25%
Self
21%
Survival
17%
Society
15%
Morality
14%
Power
5%
Ideas
3%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 14 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 6 · Intense 6

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Mentor
3 of 7
Ally
2 of 7
Hero
1 of 7
Threshold guardian
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Melancholic
11
Hopeful
9
Contemplative
7
Dread
5
Other
13

How their films linger

Hopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet12
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Tamara Tunie's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 38 of their 51 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tamara Tunie's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

66 credits, 51 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Looking Through Water(2025)

    as Miss Reno

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Elio(2025)

    as Colonel Markwell (voice)

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Beyond the Gates(2025)

    Show 200 episodes · as Anita Dupree

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Class of Her Own(2024)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody(2022)

    as Cissy Houston

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • A Journal for Jordan(2021)

    as Penny Canedy

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Harlem(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Regina Walker

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Cowboy Bebop(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · as Ana

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Organized Crime(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Melinda Warner

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Circle of Deception(2021)

    as Detective Williams

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Bike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Fran

  • The Passing On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • See(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · as Nevla, The Bank

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Almost Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 8 episodes · as Genevieve

  • Emergence(2019)

    Show 2 episodes · as Maria Wilkis

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Boss: The Black Experience in Business(2019)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Her Only Choice(2018)

    as Brenda

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Black Earth Rising(2018)

    Show 8 episodes · as Eunice Clayton

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Dietland(2018)

    Show 10 episodes · as Julia

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Irreplaceable You(2018)

    as Jane

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Bad Vegan and the Teleportation Machine(2016)

    as Josephine Bodder

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Billions(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Amelia

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Zoo(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Brenda Montgomery

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Better Call Saul(2015)

    Show 3 episodes · as Anita

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Fall to Rise(2014)

    as Annika

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Red Road(2014)

    Show 12 episodes · as Marie Van Der Veen

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Captain Blackout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Jessica Winters

  • Alpha House(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · as Eve Simone-Lewis

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Golden Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Nevel

  • Chicago Fire(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Melinda Warner

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Elementary(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Lily Cooper

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Flight(2012)

    as Margaret Thomason

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Missed Connections(2012)

    as Felicity Gray

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Blue Bloods(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Monica Graham

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • See You in September(2010)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Good Wife(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Serafina Norvy

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Wendy Williams Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Law & Order: Trial by Jury(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Melinda Warner

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • I Love the '90s: Part Deux (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 10 episodes · Actor

  • Nefertiti: Resurrected (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Narrator

  • 24(2001)

    Show 6 episodes · as Alberta Green

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Caveman's Valentine(2001)

    as Sheila

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 226 episodes · as Melinda Warner

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Trinity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Snake Eyes(1998)

    as Anthea

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Sex and the City(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Eileen

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Eve's Bayou(1997)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Devil's Advocate(1997)

    as Jackie Heath

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Peacemaker(1997)

    as Jody

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Prince Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Sharon

  • Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault(1996)

    as Miss Marcus

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Rescuing Desire(1996)

    as Van

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Swift Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Jessie McKenna

  • City Hall(1996)

    as Leslie Christos

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Chicago Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Lennie Gaghan

  • New York Undercover(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • NYPD Blue(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Lillian Fancy

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • SeaQuest 2032(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Laura

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Rising Sun(1993)

    as Lauren Smith

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Caroline Bennett

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Bloodhounds of Broadway(1989)

    as Cynthia Harris

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Wall Street(1987)

    as Carolyn

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Sweet Lorraine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Julie

  • Spenser: For Hire(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Cynthia Harris

  • As the World Turns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show as Jessica Griffin

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 65 titles from 1956 to 2025; peak year 1997.

Biggest box office

Flight (2012)

$162M worldwide

Highest rated

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19562025

Peak 1997 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting63 of 65: 63 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thDirecting1 of 65: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 65: 1 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1950s1 · acting1980s5 · acting1990s18 · acting2000s7 · acting2010s22 · 21 acting · 1 crew2020s12 · 11 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 12th · top billed in 0% of 14 roles
8712

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 2002, Best Supporting Female.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Tamara Tunie's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 43rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 51 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th16
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 51 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic5
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Class of Her Own (2024)

99th percentile spread · 53% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Better Call Saul (2015)

Midcredits 99th · 96% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 39. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Tamara Tunie's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles43–85 · median 74 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles16–80 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles55–86 · median 74 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles36–81 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles51–81 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Tamara Tunie work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tamara Tunie's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kasi Lemmons shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Producers

Mixed roles