| Tamara Bernier Evans | |
| Birth Name: | Tamara Michele Bernier |
| Birth Date: | 6 June 1974 |
| Birth Place: | North Bay, Ontario, Canada |
| Spouse: | Richard Evans (m. 2003) |
| Children: | 2 |
Tamara Bernier Evans (born Tamara Michele Bernier; June 6, 1974) is a Canadian actress, musician, producer and director.
She was raised in North Bay, Ontario,[1] by teachers Joanne Scott and Raymond Bernier. Her sister, Trista Bernier Grant, was a professional athlete who won a bronze medal for pole-vaulting at The Commonwealth Games in 1998. She obtained a BFA in acting at York University in Toronto, Ontario.
Evans began her career by earning a coveted spot in The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Young Company where she spent four years playing such roles as Celia and Audrey in As You Like It,[2] Sylvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona,[3] and Dunyasha in The Cherry Orchard.[4]
In Toronto, she worked with the Necessary Angel,[5] Canadian Stage Company, Tarragon Theatre and Nightwood Theatre[6] companies developing and premiering new plays including Seven Lears by Howard Barker,[7] It's All True by Jason Sherman,[8] Outrageous! by Brad Fraser[9] and Anything That Moves by Ann-Marie MacDonald.[10] In Ottawa, she performed at The National Arts Centre in the world premiere of Allen Cole's jazz opera The Wrong Son.[11]
In 2000 she won the role of Tanya[12] in the Toronto stage production of Mamma Mia!.[13] After performing the role for two years at The Royal Alexandra Theatre, she was asked to join the Broadway company[14] at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City.[15] She also performed the same role at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
She played the role of Rose Narracott in Mirvish's 2012 Toronto Production of War Horse.[16]
Her television credits include Republic of Doyle (CBC), Flashpoint (CTV), The Border (CBC), Kung Fu The Legend Continues (Warner Bros)[17] as well as many recurring voice roles on animated series including Mystique on Wolverine and the X-Men, Helen Spitz on Braceface and Lady Illusion on Ace Lightning.
She has worked on the feature films The Break-Up, The Invasion, Catch and Release and St. Roz,[18] among others.
Tamara is a co-founder and co-owner of Awen Entertainment, a TV and film production company she started with Gregory Sheppard, set up to nurture Canadian television writers and their projects in order to attract international co-production.
As a playwright, her musical Beholden was produced at Theatre Calgary's Fuse series in 2009.[19]
Evans became the Assistant Artistic Director at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto in August 2015.[20]
She directed 'Midsummer, a play with songs', at Tarragon in April, 2017.
Evans produced her first album of original music entitled Brand New Remedy in 2000.[21]
Tamara married composer and pianist Richard Evans in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They have two children, Meredith and Owen.