Tamara Podemski’s ability to quietly command attention has been a driving force in her almost 30 year career. The actress, who has appeared in several shows in both Canada and the United States, has a resume full of impressive jobs. Currently, she is a cast member on the CBC show, Coroner. Even more recently, however, Podemski was cast on the upcoming HBO series, Run. The show is about two former loves who made a pact to go on the run together. In the series, Podemski will portray a detective. Despite already being a well-establish actress, Run serves as a chance for Podemski to be introduced to millions of new viewers. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Tamara Podemski.
1. She Has A Diverse Ethnic Background
Tamara Podemski was born to an Israeli father and her mother is Native American (Ojibway). While there are many places where this kind of diversity would be celebrated, Hollywood isn’t usually one of them. Tamara’s background has made it difficult to book roles throughout her career. When speaking on her experience, she says Hollywood is “concerned with knowing what box to put you in, and how people will “relate” to you. And Native Americans aren’t really a huge demographic for the movie industry.”
2. She Lost A Child
In 2016, Tamara Podemski and her husband, Jamie King, suffered a very tragic loss when their second son, Benjamin, died five days after birth. Tamara shared her story with Chatelaine and explained what the loss taught her and her family about grief. Her son’s death also helped changed the regulations for c-sections in England. Reports show that Benjamin would have likely survived had the hospital performed a c-section when Tamara and her husband initially requested one.
3. She’s A Singer
When Tamara Podemski isn’t busy picking up new roles, she’s probably in the studio working on new music. Tamra is an accomplished singer. In 2006, she released a self titled album that earned her two Aboriginal Music Awards, one for best female artist and another for best songwriter.
4. She Taught Self Defense Classes
If there’s one person you probably don’t want to mess with, it’s Tamara Podemski. The actress is trained in the military self-defense system, Krav Maga. This style of self defense is famous for its mixture of different techniques including boxing, wrestling, and karate. Tamara became a certified self-defense instructor at the Krav Maga headquarters in Los Angeles where she also worked as a teacher for four years.
5. She Works With Her Sisters
Tamra isn’t the only person in her family who has a passion for the arts. Her sisters, Jennifer and Sarah, work in the entertainment industry as well. Her sister Jennifer has appeared in shows like Riverdale and Goosebumps. Sarah has also appeared in Goosebumps. All three sisters have a very close relationship and have often worked on projects together throughout the years.
6. She Was In A 10 Year Acting Program
Despite being very natural talented, Tamara still worked hard to become a formally trained actress. In an interview she shared, “I started at eight years old in a performing arts school, a very reputable arts school here in Toronto, and I did a 10-year program where that was my world.”
7. She’s A Writer
In addition to acting and singing, Tamara is a writer as well. So far, she’s earned two writing credits for her work on the Canadian show, Future History. The show focuses on telling the stories of the Canadian indigenous community. Tamara is very proud of her work as a writer and think its important for people to be able to tell their stories.
8. She Considers Herself An Actor-Preneur
As an ethnic actress, Tamara quickly learned that she may not always be as busy as she’d like. Due to the lack of roles that were sometimes available for her, she quickly learned that she needed to be able to do other things. As a result, she considers herself to be an actor-preneur who also focuses on other business and creative ventures outside of acting.
9. She Was A Member Of The Original Cast Of Rent In Canada
Rent is arguably one of the most well-known musicals to ever hit Broadway. In the years since it s premiere, Rent has gone on to have a lasting social impact on people all over the world. Tamara Podemski is proud to say that she was a part of the original cast of Canada’s first production of Rent. In the play, she portrayed Mark’s mom. She also played Maureen in the Broadway production of Rent.
10. She Was In A Long Distance Relationship
When Tamara met Jamie King, the timing just didn’t seem right. The pair met in Los Angeles at a birthday party for a mutual friend’s daughter, just two days before Jamie was planning on moving back to England. However, they decided to go on a date anyway. After feeling sparks, the two decided to see if they could make things work with Jamie living in England and Tamara back home in Canada. After lots of flights and even more letters, their relationship continued to grow and eventually led to a marriage in 2015.
