With her good looks and sophisticated air, this actress tends to play educated, intellectual professionals, like professors (
All My Children) and lawyers (
Third Watch). But it was her stint as a bohemian art dealer on
Heroes that turned her into a hot commodity. It's fitting that Cypress had her breakthrough with the comic-book-like series, since her brother Toby is a successful illustrator. When she originally auditioned for the sci-fi show, she read for Niki, a role that ultimately went to Ali Larter. But series creator Tim Kring was so impressed with Cypress's talents that he offered her the part of Simone, even though it had originally been written for a Caucasian actress. Unfortunately, despite being a sultry presence and the focus of an intense love triangle, her character was killed off during the first season. Since then, Cypress has found consistent work on the small screen with a lead role on the short-lived 2007 FOX drama
K-Ville, a reoccuring role on
Rescue Me and guest spots on
Army Wives and
Law & Order: SVU.
Tawny Cypress Fast Facts:
- Her brother, Toby Cypress, is a comic-book artist.
- Originally auditioned for the role of Niki on the TV series Heroes.
- Trained with the New Orleans Police Department and a SWAT team for her role on the TV series K-Ville, and learned how to hold a gun and make arrests.
- Having watched the attack on the World Trade Center from her nearby apartment, Cypress was greatly affected by it; upon learning that Oliver Stone planned a film about the event, she contacted him and got a small role in his feature film World Trade Center (2006).
- Tawny Cypress Relationships:
- Tom Dillon - Significant Other
- Gene Cypress - Father
- Toby Cypress - Brother
- Dexter - Son
- Bill Charles - Ex-husband
- College:
- Attended Boston University, Boston, MA; attended Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ; attended Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Brunswick, NJ