Amber Tamblyn

Amber Tamblyn Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: May 14, 1983

Age: 40 years old

Birth Place: Santa Monica, California

Spouses: David Cross

Parents: Russ Tamblyn

Having had her start at an early age, actress Amber Tamblyn jumped into the limelight at 10 years old and never looked back, playing the popular character, Emily Quatermaine, for six years on the soap opera, "General Hospital" (ABC, 1963- ). But it was her starring turn on the short-lived, but acclaimed "Joan of Arcadia" (CBS, 2003-05) that provided the young actress with her breakout role. Because of that show's brief success, Tamblyn was able to branch out into feature films, most notably in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005), which proved to be a strong stepping stone for bigger and better projects. Following a supporting turn in "The Grudge 2" (2007), she spread her wings in the bleak adult drama "Stephanie Daley" (2007) before returning to familiar ground with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (2008). While a return to series television with the quirky cop drama, "The Unusuals" (ABC, 2009), failed to live up to expectations, Tamblyn proved versatile in the courtroom drama "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" (2009) and the stark survival drama "127 Hours" (2010), allowing her to boost her profile while demonstrating a wider range of appeal.

Born on May 14, 1983 in Santa Monica, CA, Tamblyn was raise by her father, Russ Tamblyn - an actor who starred in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954) and was best known for playing Riff in "West Side Story" (1961) - and her mother, Bonnie, a folk singer. At 10 years old, Tamblyn was performing the lead in "Pippi Longstockings" at the Santa Monica Alternative School House, when an agent in the audience found himself impressed with her performance. Soon she found herself starring on "General Hospital," proving not only popular with fans, but with critics as well, winning 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 she maintained her stay on daytime, Tamblyn wisely branched out to primetime, making guest appearances on "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer" (The WB/UPN, 1997-2004), "Boston Public" (Fox, 2000-04) and "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002-12).

In 2001, Tamblyn left "General Hospital" and appeared in her second feature, "The Ring" (2002), as Naomi Watt's niece, Katie who meets a horrific fate. 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, 2003-05), about a family whose daughter (Tamblyn) is frequented by God in various human forms. The series was initially 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 early demise. It did, however, earn Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations in 2004. Meanwhile, Tamblyn began snagging leading roles in feature films, starting with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005). The blossoming star played Tibby, the sardonic member of a group of close childhood friends (Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Blake Lively) who spend their first summer apart, but manage to stay connected by sharing an unusual pair of blue jeans that strangely fits their differing shapes.

With her star on the rise, Tamblyn began landing roles in higher profile fare. She starred opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar in the horror sequel, "The Grudge 2" (2006), while expanding her range in "Stephanie Daley" (2007) as a 16-year-old girl accused of infanticide following what she believed was a still-born birth. Her performance was well-received on the festival circuit, where she won a Leopard for Best Actress at the 2006 Locarno International Film Festival while earning a nomination for Best Supporting Female at the Independent Spirit Awards. Following a starring turn in the indie thriller "Blackout" (2008), Tamblyn returned to familiar territory for "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (2008), which managed to rekindle the previous winning chemistry between the four leads. Turning back to television, she starred in two small screen movies, "Normal Adolescent Behavior" (Lifetime, 2007) and "The Russell Girl" (CBS, 2008), before taking another stab at series television with "The Unusuals" (ABC, 2009), a quirky cop show in which she starred as a seemingly incorruptible officer from a wealthy family who is tasked with cleaning up a precinct full of misfits. Though praised by critics for its offbeat humor, "The Unusuals" failed to attract enough eyeballs to avoid cancellation.

Back on the big screen, Tamblyn had a supporting role in the direct-to-DVD spring break comedy, "Spring Breakdown" (2009), which she followed with a more serious turn in the courtroom-themed neo-noir, "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" (2009), starring Michael Douglas. After a guest starring appearance in the pilot episode of cable sitcom, "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret" (IFC, 2010- ), Tamblyn joined the cast of "House" (Fox, 2004-2012) in a recurring capacity. She next had a supporting role in "127 Hours" (2010), director Danny Boyle's graphic and intense portrayal of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who became famous for cutting off his own arm at the wrist with a pen knife after his hand became trapped by a loose boulder that crushed it. Tamblyn played a hiker who, along with her friend (Kate Mara), encounters Ralston before the accident occurs. Tamblyn followed up with the indie drama, "Main Street" (2011), which focused on the colorful characters of a tight-knit North Carolina community, and starred the likes of Colin Firth, Orlando Bloom, Patricia Clarkson and Ellen Burstyn. She next had a small supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti Western, "Django Unchained" (2012), which starred Jamie Foxx as a vengeance minded slave who helps a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) hunt down two killers in exchange for his freedom and a reunion with his wife (Kerry Washington). Just prior to that film's release, Tamblyn married long-time (and nearly 20 years older) boyfriend, comedian David Cross, in October 2012 follow a year-long engagement. The surprisingly well-matched twosome had been dating since 2008, though they had kept that knowledge secret for about a year.

Credits

General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling

Self
Special
2024

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Y: The Last Man

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CBS Mornings

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NostalgiaStream

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2018
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Girlfriend's Day

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Jill
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2017

The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards

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Amanda
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2017

Paint It Black

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2016

Paint It Black

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2016

Paint It Black

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Movie
2016

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

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2015

Lip Sync BattleStream

Contestant
Reality
2015

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

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2014

3 Nights in the Desert

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Anna
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2014

Growing Up and Other Lies

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Tabatha
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2014

Drunk HistoryStream

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2013

Live! With Kelly and Michael

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2012

Comedy Bang! Bang!Stream

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2012

Django UnchainedStream

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2012
87%

Big Morning Buzz Live

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2011

PortlandiaStream

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2011
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The Talk

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2010

Todd MargaretStream

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2010
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Todd MargaretStream

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2010
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127 HoursStream

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Megan
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2010
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Main Street

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Mary Saunders
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2010

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

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2009

The UnusualsStream

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Detective Casey Shraeger
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2009
72%

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

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2009

Spring Breakdown

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Ashley
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2009

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

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Ella Crystal
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2009

The Drums Inside Your Chest

Executive Producer
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2009

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2Stream

Actor
Tibby
Movie
2008
66%

The Russell Girl

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Sarah Russell
Movie
2008

Normal Adolescent Behavior

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Wendy
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2007

Spiral

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Amber
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2007

Blackout

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Claudia
Movie
2007

etalk

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2006

The Grudge 2

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Aubrey
Movie
2006

Stephanie Daley

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Stephanie Daley
Movie
2006

The Sisterhood of the Traveling PantsStream

Actor
Tabitha "Tibby" Tomko-Rollins
Movie
2005
82%

HouseStream

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Martha M. Masters
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2004
90%

Joan of Arcadia

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Joan Girardi
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2003
96%

Two and a Half MenStream

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Jenny
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2003
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Two and a Half MenStream

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Jenny
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2003
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Without a TraceStream

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2002

CSI: MiamiStream

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2002

The Twilight ZoneStream

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2002

The RingStream

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Katie
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2002
71%

Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet

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Kate
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2002

Live With Regis and Kelly

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2001

Boston Public

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2000

The View

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1997

Buffy the Vampire SlayerStream

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Janice
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1997
85%

Johnny Mysto Boy Wizard

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Sprout
Movie
1996

MADtvStream

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1995
43%

Glass Mountain

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Deb
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1995

Good Morning America

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1975

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