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Biography
When she portrayed "Lyta Alexander" in the Hugo Award-winning
sci-fi series Babylon 5, Patricia Tallman was the most powerful
telepath in the universe. Seems fitting, considering that the
actress knew she was going to be in show business at the early age
of two. It was then that she first appeared with her father, Jerry,
on his midwest radio show, soloing on "Bicycle Built for Two." By
age fifteen, Pat was performing in summer stock at the Red Barn
Theatre in Saugatuck, Michigan, doing ten shows in eleven weeks.
She soon spent all of her high school vacations in professional
summer stock, and eventually chose Carnegie Mellon University to
earn her BFA in its prestigious theater arts program. While other
theater majors waited tables, Pat worked her way through college
performing in eighteen musicals at the Pittsburgh Civic Light
Opera. Recognizing Pat's formidable talents, CMU presented her with
an award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting. Immediately after
college, Pat moved to New York City, where she landed a role in the
long running off-Broadway hit, Big, Bad Burlesque. She went on to
score other parts on the New York stage, including her favorite,
"Rosalind" in the Riverside Shakespeare Company's production of As
You Like It. Television roles began shortly thereafter, when Pat
was cast in a recurring role on the CBS soap opera, Guiding Light.
This led to roles on virtually every New York-based daytime serial.
Film roles were not far behind. CMU alum Tom Savini contacted Pat
to play a role in his new feature, Knightriders, starring Ed
Harris. This led to a long working relationship with George Romero,
who subsequently cast her in Monkeyshines and the cult favorite,
Tales from the Dark Side. Pat relocated to Los Angeles in 1989,
where she again worked with Romero on Creepshow II. The film she is
perhaps best known for followed: Romero's remake of the 1962 cult
classic, Night of the Living Dead. The move to L.A. was a smart
one, Pat discovered, as she was soon cast as undercover cop
"Christy Russell" on NBC's Generations, and as an evil, sexy
swashbuckler in the film, Ring of the Musketeers. Other films
include Sweet Justice, Benefit of the Doubt, Army of Darkness, and
both Austin Powers films. TV shows include Star Trek: The Next
Generation, Star Runners (A USA Network pilot), Dark Skies, Babylon
5 and The Universe and Harry Morgann (an independent pilot). Pat's
other projects include starring in the science fiction thriller
Never Die Twice, and playing one of the leads, Lieutenant Richmond,
in two audio plays, Lives of the Cat and Anne Manx. In addition,
Pat's voice can be heard in the cartoon Babylon 5 parodies
Frightspace and Grudgematch. Equally important to Patricia Tallman
are her roles of wife -- she recently celebrated her first
anniversary with husband 'Jeffrey Willerth' (qv) (Kosh, Babylon 5)
-- and mother (to son Julian), as well as her fund-raising
activities for the children of Penny Lane. Through her tireless
efforts within the science fiction community, Pat and her fans have
contributed more than $50,000 to Penny Lane over the past several
years, the bulk of which transformed the CARE Computer Lab dream
into reality. Dedicated Patricia Tallman fans make a hobby of
trying to spot her in her many stunt performances. An extremely
athletic and fearless member of the Stunt Woman's Association of
America, Pat has tumbled, slid and taken punches for the likes of
Laura Dern (in Jurassic Park), Gates McFadden (in Star Trek:
Generations), Geena Davis (in The Long Kiss Goodnight) and Hudson
Leick (in Chill Factor). Pat's fans mean the world to her. To give
her fans, and all SF fans, a home on the Internet, she and Jeffrey
Willerth founded The Galactic Gateway -- www.TheGalacticGateway.com
-- where fans can chat, participate in message boards, download
video clips and purchase guaranteed authentic merchandise. Many
Babylon 5 actors participate in the Gateway. Pat's roots as as
stage actress have never left her, and she continues to tread the
footlights in Los Angeles whenever film and TV work allow her the
time.
Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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Patricia Tallman
