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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.
An opportunity to audition for George Romero for a
lead in his new feature,
Knightriders, starring Ed Harris,
arose and Pat was on her way back to Pittsburgh,
acting in her first film. This led to a long
working relationship with George Romero, who
subsequently cast her in Monkeyshines
and Creepshow II. CMU alumn Tom
Savini cast her in the series Tales from the
Darkside twice. He must have liked her
work, for he then cast Pat in the film for which
she is perhaps best known: Romero's remake of the
1968 cult classic, Night of the Living
Dead, which Savini directed.
Moving
to L.A.,
Pat was soon cast as an underwear model, Billie, on
the NBC soap, Generations. They loved
her and created a new character for her, undercover
cop "Christy Russell," which she played for several
months. Her fencing skills landed her the role of
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, most recently,
The Universe and Harry Morgann (an
Independent pilot).
Pat's
latest projects
include guest starring as the evil shamaness in
Sheena, 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: Ring of the Minotour. One
reviewer wrote that Richmond is "... brilliantly
portrayed by Patricia Tallman" (Reviewers
Bookwatch, June 2000). 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 is married to Jeffrey Willerth (Kosh, Babylon
5) -- and mother to 6-year-old Julian, as well as
her fund-raising activities for the children of
Penny Lane, a home for abused children in North
Hills, California.
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. The lab is a state-of-the-art facility at
Penny Lane to introduce the young residents to
computer skills.
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 science fiction 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. Pat recently appeared in a
production of The Vagina Monologues
in LA. She is a dedicated student of Charles Nelson
Reilly, who is her teacher and mentor.

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