Actress Amber Tamblyn has enjoyed popularity and success from an early age. But it’s no surprise that she wanted to be in entertainment. Her dad, Russ Tamblyn, has starred on screens both large and small since the late 40’s, including some of Hollywood’s most revered movies: “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (1954) and “West Side Story” (1961), among others. Following in her dad’s footsteps, Tamblyn jumped into the limelight at age 10 and never looked back. She starred as the popular character Emily Quatermaine on the soap opera, “General Hospital” (1995-2001). Though her character was originally slated to appear for only a few months, Tamblyn struck a chord in viewers, and spent the next seven years in the role.
Tamblyn was born on May 14, 1983 in Santa Monica, California. At ten years old, Tamblyn was performing the lead in “Pippi Longstockings” at the Santa Monica Alternative School House. An agent in the audience was impressed with her performance, and Tamblyn soon found herself on “General Hospital”. Not only was Tamblyn popular with fans, she garnished critical acclaim as well: she won two consecutive Hollywood Reporter Young Star Awards as Best Young Actress in a Daytimes Series.
Also at the time Tamblyn appeared in her first feature film, a small role in “Live Nude Girls” (1995), starring Dana Delany and Kim Cattrall. While Tamblyn maintained her stay on “General Hospital”, she made guest appearances on several primetime series, including “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer” (1997), “Boston Public” (2000) and “CSI: Miami” (2002). In 2001, Tamblyn left “General Hospital” and appeared in her second feature, “The Ring” (2002) as Naomi Watt’s niece, Katie. The remake of the Japanese horror flick, “Ringu” (1999), became a surprise hit for Tamblyn, which led to her next series, “Joan of Arcadia” (CBS, 2003-2005), about a family whose daughter (Tamblyn) is frequented by God in various human forms.
The series was intially embraced by viewers looking for an intelligent, well-written drama espousing traditional values, but the quality of the show suffered in its second season, resulting in its cancellation. However, the series did serve as an effective platform to launch Tamblyn into the public eye, and it allowed her to snag leading roles in feature films. "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005) provided her first role as a blossoming star, casting her as Tibby, the sardonic member of a group of close female friends who wants to be a filmmaker and takes a low-paying job for the summer at a suburban megastore where she plans to shoot a video documentary about life and work, pestered by a young assistant (Jenna Boyd) who ultimately opens her heart.
Profession(s):
Actor, singer
Sometimes Credited As:
Amber Tamblyn
