Tamara Podemski (born October 16, 1977) is a Canadian film and television actress and writer.[1] She is known for her supporting role as Alison Trent in the television series Coroner, for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021.[2]
Tamara Podemski | |
|---|---|
 Podemski in 2014 | |
| Born | October 16, 1977 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse | Jamie Thomas King |
| Relatives | Jennifer Podemski (sister) Sarah Podemski (sister) |
Early life
editPodemski was raised in Toronto where she attended Claude Watson School for the Performing Arts.[3]
Her father is an Israeli Jew from Kfar Saba, and her mother is an Anishinaabe from the Muscowpetung band of First Nations people in Saskatchewan.[4][5] Her paternal grandparents were from Poland, and moved to Canada after World War II.[6] Her sisters, Jennifer Podemski and Sarah Podemski are also actors. All three sisters appear together in the FX series Reservation Dogs.[5][7]
Career
editPodemski was a Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Writing in a Factual Program or Series at the 8th Canadian Screen Awards in 2020, for her work on her sister's documentary series Future History.[1]
She won a special jury award for dramatic performance at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival,[8] and was an Independent Spirit Award nominee for Best Supporting Female at the 23rd Independent Spirit Awards in 2007,[9] for her performance in the film Four Sheets to the Wind.
Personal life
edit
She is married to British actor Jamie Thomas King, with whom she launched the Blackbird Productions studio.[10] The studio's first release, a short film titled The Light Before the Sun, premiered in 2024.[11]
In 2016 Podemski gave birth to their second child Benjamin, who died just five days after birth, in Bath. A coroner's investigation later determined that the death was due to brain damage caused when a hospital delayed Podemski's caesarean section.[12] In September 2024, King announced that he was writing a screenplay adaptation of James Titcombe's book Joshua's Story: Uncovering the Morecambe Bay NHS Scandal, about Titcombe's own experience having a child die in infancy due to failures in the management of the National Health Service, which is planned for future release through Blackbird.[13]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Dance Me Outside | Little Margaret | |
| 2000 | Johnny Greyeyes | Rox | |
| 2007 | Four Sheets to the Wind | Miri Smallhill | |
| 2012 | The Lesser Blessed | Verna Sole | |
| 2018 | Never Saw It Coming | Detective Rona Wedmore | |
| 2019 | Guest of Honour | Detective Grove | |
| 2023 | Fancy Dance | Ricky | |
| 2024 | The Light Before the Sun | Amanda Wolf | Short film; also writer and producer |
| 2025 | Youngblood | Ms. McGill | |
| 2025 | Blood Lines | Pehmee |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Rez | Lucy Pegahmagabow | |
| 1996-97 | Ready or Not | Carla Slovinsky | |
| 2003 | Another Country | Jane Crowe | |
| 2006 | Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis | Deborah 'Chicky' Etienne | |
| 2007 | Rabbit Fall | Gabrielle | |
| 2008 | New Amsterdam | Young Lenape Woman | |
| 2010 | Making a Scene | The A.D. | |
| 2012 | Heartland | April | |
| 2013 | Cracked | Kaya Grey | |
| 2019 | Holly Hobbie | Dr. Manning | |
| 2019–2022 | Coroner | Alison Trent | |
| 2020 | Run | Babe Cloud | |
| Unsettled | Tara | ||
| 2022–2024 | Outer Range | Deputy Sheriff Joy | |
| 2022 | Ghosts | Psychiatrist Dr. Long | |
| Reservation Dogs | Teenie | ||
| 2023 | Essex County | Joy | |
| Monster High | Coach Thunderbird | (voice) | |
| 2024 | The Legend of Vox Machina | Uvenda | (voice) |
| 2025 | Murderbot | Bharadwaj | [14][15] |
| 2025–2026 | Saint-Pierre | Natasha Bourge | [16] |
| 2026 | The Borderline | Erica Ross |
References
edit- 1 2 Rick Garrick, "Indigenous multidisciplinary artist to host 13th Annual Outside Looking In Gala in Toronto this Spring". Anishinabek News, March 9, 2020.
- ↑ Zach Harper, "'Schitt's Creek' and 'Kim's Convenience' win big at 2021 Canadian Screen Awards". Hello! Canada, May 21, 2021.
- ↑ "Tamara Podemski". CBC Media Center. CBC. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ↑ "'The power to save lives': Jennifer Podemski's must-read call for Indigenous representation in media | CBC Arts".
- 1 2 ""Reservation Dogs" Actress Reflects on Indigenous and Jewish Roots, Humor and Healing". 30 September 2021.
- ↑ "Jewish Indigenous actress Sarah Podemski: 'It's a miracle just to exist'". The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com.
- ↑ A. R. Wilson."Coroner: Tamara Podemski on Alison’s backstory and why landing the role was a 'huge triumph' for her". TV, eh?, February 8, 2019.
- ↑ Kenneth Turan, "Latin roots supported at Sundance". Los Angeles Times, January 28, 2007.
- ↑ Bob Tourtellotte, "Hollywood gets in award show Spirit". Calgary Herald, November 28, 2007.
- ↑ Etan Vlessing, "‘Mad Men’ Actor Adapting UK Baby Deaths Probe Book as Feature". The Hollywood Reporter, September 26, 2024.
- ↑ Nicholas Sokic, "Blackbird Productions takes flight with Michael Greyeyes film". Playback, October 2, 2024.
- ↑ Alys Gagnon, "Tragic death of Mad Men star Jamie King's son caused by delayed c-section". News.com.au, January 18, 2017.
- ↑ Michelle Blade, "Mad Men actor adapting Morecambe Bay baby deaths book for the big screen". Lancaster Guardian, September 27, 2024.
- ↑ Cordero, Rosy (2024-03-07). "Apple TV+'s 'Murderbot' Rounds Out Cast With Sabrina Wu, Tattiawna Jones, Akshay Khanna & Tamara Podemski". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ↑ Campione, Katie (July 10, 2025). "Murderbot Renewed For Season 2 At Apple TV+ Ahead Of Season 1 Finale". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Saint-Pierre". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.