Tamlyn Tomita

Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (born January 27, 1966; age 58) played Press Secretary Jenny Dodge during Season 2 of 24.

Biography and career

Tamlyn Tomita was born in Okinawa to Shiro and Asako Tomita. She is 1/4 Filipino on her mother's side of the family. Her father was a distinguished Japanese-American man who was interned at Manzanar, California, during part of World War II, then later became a Los Angeles police officer, where he became a sergeant, helping to form the first Asian Task force in that Department. He died of cancer in 1990. Tomita graduated from Granada Hills High School in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.

Before becoming an actress, Tomita won the title of Queen at the Nisei Week Pageant in Los Angeles in 1984, and Miss Nikkei International in 1985. In 1987, Tomita made her Japanese singing debut on the label Polydor. She released a single and an album.

Tomita made her feature film debut in 1986 on The Karate Kid, Part II. She debuted in TV the following year with a small role on the war show Tour of Duty. That same year, she landed a recurring role on Santa Barbara playing Ming Li.

She continued to work in films like To Heal a Nation (with Scott Paulin), Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes (with Ping Wu and François Chau), Babylon 5: The Gathering (with Andreas Katsulas), The Joy Luck Club (with Nicholas Guest), Vanishing Son II and Vanishing Son IV (both with Harry Lennix), The Killing Jar (with Carlos Bernard, Xander Berkeley, and Rob Kyker in the art department), Living Out Loud (with Jenette Goldstein), The Day After Tomorrow (with Nestor Serrano), Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't (with Robin Thomas), Pandemic (with Bob Gunton), and The Eye (with Rade Šerbedžija).

In 1996, Tomita had one of the main roles in The Burning Zone as Dr. Kimberly Shiroma. The show also featured Michael Cavanaugh and David Fabrizio. She continued working in shows like One West Waikiki and The Sentinel (both with Richard Burgi), Nash Bridges (with Geoff Pierson), The Michael Richards Show (with William Devane), FreakyLinks (with Karim Prince), Crossing Jordan (with Ravi Kapoor), and For The People (with Mark Rolston).

In 2002, Tomita landed two recurring roles: first one, as Lt. Cmdr. Tracy Manetti in JAG, and second one, as Jenny Dodge on 24. The former show also featured Alan Dale, Faran Tahir, Eyal Podell, and Todd Jeffries. Other shows she has worked in recently are The Agency (with Will Patton), North Shore (with Tim Kelleher and Robin Thomas), Commander in Chief (with Harry Lennix, Ever Carradine, Tzi Ma, and Anthony Azizi), Stargate SG-1 (with Tim Guinee), Saving Grace (with Tom Irwin and Dean Norris), The Mentalist (with Gregory Itzin), and CSI: Miami (with Vicellous Shannon).

24 credits

• Season 2
  • "Day 2: 8:00am-9:00am"
  • "Day 2: 9:00am-10:00am"
  • "Day 2: 10:00am-11:00am"
  • "Day 2: 1:00pm-2:00pm"
  • "Day 2: 7:00am-8:00am"

Selected filmography

• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)
• The Right Mom (2021)
• The Good Neighbor (2016)
• Teacher of the Year (2014)
• Tekken (2010)
• The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
• Robot Stories (2003)
• The Killing Jar (1997)
• Picture Bride (1994)
• The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)

Television appearances

• Cobra Kai (2018-2021)
• The Good Doctor (2017-2019)
• Teen Wolf (2014-2017)
• Berlin Station (2016)
• Chasing Life (2015)
• Touch (2012)
• Glee (2011-2012)
• Days of Our Lives (2012)
• Make It or Break It (2012)
• The Protector (2011)
• Law & Order: LA (2010-2011)
• The Chicago Code (2011)
• Memphis Beat (2010)
• Heroes (2007-2010)
• Private Practice (2009)
• JAG (2002-2003)
• The Burning Zone (1996-1997)
• Santa Barbara (1987-1988)

External links

• Tamlyn Tomita at Wikipedia
• Tamlyn Tomita at the Internet Movie Database
• Tamlyn Tomita (@thetamlyntomita) on Twitter
• Tamlyn Tomita (@thetamlyntomita) on Instagram