Tammin Sursok | |
|---|---|
 Sursok in 2017 | |
| Born | 19 August 1983 Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | Sean McEwen (m. 2011) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels |
|
Tammin Sursok (born 19 August 1983 [1] [2] ) is a South African-born Australian actress and singer. She is best known for her roles on television as Dani Sutherland on Home and Away , Colleen Carlton on The Young and the Restless , and Jenna Marshall on Pretty Little Liars .
Sursok was born to musicians Daryl and Julie Sursok in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. [1] [2] [3] When she was six, her family immigrated to Australia. Early on, Sursok was involved with the Sydney Youth Musical Theatre where she pursued her interests in acting, music, and dance. [2] She also studied at the Trinity Speech and Drama College. Sursok was educated at Ravenswood School for Girls, in Gordon, Sydney, studying speech and drama in her final years of school.[ citation needed ]
In 1999, after completing Year 10, Sursok acquired an agent and landed her first audition for a role in the long-running Australian drama series Home and Away . [2] [1] She was cast in the role of Dani Sutherland, the rebellious eldest daughter of the Sutherland family who took over the running of the Caravan Park. [4] The actress considered herself lucky to get the part, calling the experience "incredible". [2] In an interview with TeenHollywood she stated, "It was my first audition, so I thought it always worked like that, and you always get your first audition, but that is not the case." [2] Sursok's performance in the role earned her a win for the Logie Award for Most Popular New Female Talent beating out Caroline Craig, Madeleine West and Karina Brown. [5] [6] Sursok's performance earned her a nomination for the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress, losing out to McLeod's Daughters star Lisa Chappell. [7]
Sursok left Home and Away in 2004 so that she could pursue a music career, and acting opportunities, in the United States. [2] "I'm 21 and it's time to be more creative. It is scary, but I had to leave before I became stale." [8] In 2004, Sursok acknowledged that she was signed to Sony BMG Music Entertainment, confirming reports that recording for her debut studio album had begun.
Sursok's solo album, Whatever Will Be , was released on 22 May 2005, under Sony Music Entertainment with songwriters Savan Kotecha, David Kreuger, Marion Raven, Steve Booker; and producers John Shanks, Per Mangusson and David Kreuger. [9] Whatever Will Be made its debut on the ARIA Albums Chart at number thirteen. [10] During its second week on the charts, it remained at its peak position of #13; [11] however, during its third week, it had a significant drop by 23 spots, landing the album at No. 36. [12] During its fourth week, it fell further landing at No. 43. [13] It ended its run on 20 June, falling completely off the charts and has not charted since. [9] [14] The album's lead single, "Pointless Relationship", debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at No. 7 before peaking at No. 5, spending 15 weeks on the charts. [15] Upon the song's release, it quickly shot to No. 1 on the Australian Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart, becoming the highest charting debut single in years. [9] "Pointless Relationship" certified Platinum in Australia. [15] The second single, "Whatever Will Be", debuted at No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart and spent a total of 18 weeks on the charts. [14] "Whatever Will Be" was the 98th best-selling single of 2005 in Australia. [14] The third and final single off Whatever Will Be, "It's a Beautiful Thing", quickly debuted on the ARIA Singles chart at No. 30. The song peaked at No. 6, spending 12 weeks on the charts. [9] "It's a Beautiful Thing" became the second most downloaded song in its debut week, after Rob Thomas's "This Is How a Heart Breaks". [9] It also peaked at No. 49 on the Australian Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart, becoming her lowest charting single. [9]
After the success of her album, Whatever Will Be, plans were made to launch Sursok in the UK, but these unexpectedly fell through due to changes at her record label. The title track, "Whatever Will Be", was covered by Vanessa Hudgens for her RIAA-certified debut album, V .
After her UK plans fell through, Sursok relocated from Australia to Los Angeles, California in 2006 in order to concentrate on her acting career. [9] That same year, she made her film debut in a bit role in the film Aquamarine .
In 2007, after a successful audition, Sursok became the third actress to portray Colleen Carlton on the American soap opera television series, The Young and the Restless . Her debut was quickly met with criticism from a number of The Young and the Restless viewers. [16] [17] Despite the negativity, she received comparable positive viewer feedback. "The fans have been really great." [18] In preparation for the role, Sursok tried to catch up on Colleen's history. "I watched the last six months of episodes," she said. "My boyfriend used to date a girl who was obsessed with Y&R, so he knew everything about it and brought me up to speed, as well." [19] Sursok earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Colleen the following year. [16] After two years in the role, Sursok departed causing the writers to kill off Colleen. [20] [21] In an interview with Soap Opera Digest in October 2009, Sursok said it was difficult to pursue outside projects and appear on The Young and the Restless as well. Her departure was a mutual decision between Sursok and the showrunners. [21]
In 2009, Sursok starred in the Nickelodeon made-for-television musical film Spectacular! portraying the role of Courtney, the lead singer in a high school choir which is fading in popularity. [9] [22] Sursok recorded over three tracks for the film's soundtrack, which debuted at No. 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [9] The film premiered on 16 February 2009, to over 3.7 million viewers. [23] The soundtrack , recorded in 2008, was released on 3 February 2009, with Sursok appearing on seven songs on the album, including two solos. The soundtrack peaked at number 44 on the Billboard 200.[ citation needed ]
From July 2010 to January 2011, Sursok had a recurring role on the Disney Channel Original Series Hannah Montana . She appeared in eight episodes. In 2010, Sursok was cast in ABC Family's adaptation of the Sara Shepard teen mystery book series, Pretty Little Liars . Sursok was cast as Jenna Marshall, a teenage girl who is left blind after a prank gone wrong. The series premiered in June that same year to over 2.47 million viewers. [24] In June 2013, Sursok announced that she would continue her role as Jenna through her pregnancy. [25]
She played Sarah Corso in the indie film Driving By Braille, directed by Kristina Lloyd and written by Richard H. Moon, released on DVD in May 2013. The story tells of a young woman who relives childhood trauma when she senses her boyfriend is about to propose, and who must sort through the crippling fear and doubt that is holding her back before her past destroys the couple's future. [26]
In 2014, after several reports of Sursok indicating she was returning to music, she released a collaboration with singer Joe Brooks, covering "Say Something" made famous by A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera. [27]
In January 2022, Sursok joined the cast of Australian soap opera Neighbours as fashion designer and businesswoman Montana Marcel. Her first appearance was on 13 April 2022. [28] [29]
On 24 August 2011, Sursok married her boyfriend, actor, producer, and director Sean McEwen, in Florence, Italy. [30] [31] [32] Sursok signed an exclusive deal with the Australian magazine Woman's Day to publish the couple's wedding photos [33] In April 2013, Sursok revealed that her movie Sleeping Around was filmed in the middle of her wedding. [34] The couple have two daughters, born in October 2013 [35] and January 2019. [36] Sursok also has three dogs. [37]
On 16 March 2016, Sursok posted a photo of herself as an adolescent on Instagram and revealed that she had been bullied because of her weight. The post was part of her #ThisIsBeautiful hashtag campaign which aims to empower people and change the message around beauty standards. The accompanying post read:
For all of you being bullied out there. This is me. Growing up I was overweight and spent most of my adolescence being bullied because of it. I definitely wasn't the popular girl, but it didn't define me. You can be ANYTHING you want to be in your life. It's your choice which path you take. Don't let other people's words give you your self-worth. You are beautiful. I was beautiful. It just took me a long time to love myself. #thisisbeautiful [38]
In 2019, Sursok became an American citizen. [39] [40] [41] However, during the COVID-19 pandemic she along with McEwen and their daughters returned to Australia after being offered a movie role based in Brisbane in 2021, quarantined, and stated in an interview in March 2022 on The Morning Show that she had "accidentally" moved back to Australia. [42]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Aquamarine | Marjorie | |
| 2009 | Crossing Over | Rosalyn | |
| 2009 | Albino Farm | Stacey | |
| 2010 | Flicka 2 | Carrie McLaughlin | Direct-to-video film |
| 2011 | Husk | Natalie | |
| 2013 | Driving by Braille | Sarah Corso | Direct-to-video film |
| 2013 | 10 Rules for Sleeping Around | Kate Oliver | |
| 2014 | Cam2Cam | Allie Westbrook | [43] |
| 2019 | Braking for Whales | Star Walker | Also writer and producer [44] [45] |
| 2023 | Blood, Sweat and Cheer | Renee | Streaming film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–2004 | Home and Away | Dani Sutherland | Regular role; 297 episodes |
| 2007 | Rules of Engagement | Woman | Episode: "Game On" |
| 2007–2009 | The Young and the Restless | Colleen Carlton | Regular role, 165 episodes |
| 2008 | In Plain Sight | Nicole | Episode: Pilot |
| 2009 | Spectacular! | Courtney | Nickelodeon Original Movie |
| 2010–2011 | Hannah Montana | Siena | Recurring role (season 4); 8 episodes |
| 2010–2017 | Pretty Little Liars | Jenna Marshall | Recurring role (seasons 1–5, 7) |
| 2012 | Airship Dracula | Amelia | Television miniseries |
| 2015 | Bound & Babysitting | Maggie | Television film |
| 2016 | You May Now Kill the Bride | Audrey | Television film |
| 2016 | Girlfriends of Christmas Past | Livvy Beal | Television film |
| 2019 | My Killer Client | Christa Bright | Television film |
| 2022 | Neighbours | Montana Marcel | Guest role [29] |
| 2022 | Love and Penguins | Tilly | Television film |
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [14] | ||
| Whatever Will Be |
| 13 |
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US [46] | ||
| Spectacular! |
| 44 |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certification | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [14] | |||||||||
| "Pointless Relationship" | 2004 | 5 | Whatever Will Be | ||||||
| "Whatever Will Be" | 2005 | 13 | |||||||
| "It's a Beautiful Thing" | 30 | ||||||||
| "Say Something" (with Joe Brooks) | 2014 | — | Non-album single | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Eye of the Tiger" | 2010 | Spectacular! Cast | Music from Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore |
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Director(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As artist | ||||
| "Pointless Relationship" | 2004 | None | Unknown | [48] |
| "Whatever Will Be" | 2005 | [49] | ||
| "It's a Beautiful Thing" | [50] | |||
| Guest appearances | ||||
| "Till My Heart Stops Beating" | 2013 | Joe Brooks | [51] | |
| Year | Group | Award | Work | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Logie Award | Most Popular New Female Talent | Home and Away | Won | [5] |
| 2004 | Logie Award | Most Popular Actress | Home and Away | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series | The Young and the Restless | Nominated | |
| 2013 | New York Film Festival | Best Actress in a Leading Role | 10 Rules for Sleeping Around | Nominated | [52] |
Catherine Yvette Ceberano is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar. Her song "Pash" received a gold sales certification in 1998. In 2019, she was one of the contestants in season one of The Masked Singer Australia as ‘The Lion’, where she was unmasked in episode seven, placing sixth.
Delta Lea Goodrem AM is an Australian musician, songwriter, television personality and actress. Goodrem signed a recording contract with Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut studio album, Innocent Eyes (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive weeks. It is one of the highest-selling Australian albums and is the second-best-selling Australian album of all time with over four million copies sold.
Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick, better known by her stage name Vitamin C, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actress. She began her career as an Ivory soap baby and child actress, appearing in John Waters' film Hairspray (1988), and continued to appear in minor roles in films before starting the alternative rock band Eve's Plum in 1991.
Stephanie McIntosh is an Australian actress and singer. She played the role of Sky Mangel in the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2003 to 2007. She made a brief appearance for one episode in 2015 as part of the show's 30th anniversary celebrations, and returned again in 2020 as part of the shows 35th anniversary episodes, and a cameo appearance in 2022. As a singer, she released her debut album, Tightrope, in September 2006. It peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Georgina Parker is an Australian television soap actress and has also appeared in film and theatre. She is a double Gold Logie winner, best known for her acting roles in Australian soap operas; as Lucy Gardiner in A Country Practice; as Theresa "Terri" Sullivan in All Saints; and as Roo Stewart in Home and Away.
Marion Elise Ravn, better known as Marion Raven, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. Raven formed the pop duo M2M with Marit Larsen, though they ceased performing together in 2002. Raven was later signed as a solo artist by Atlantic Records with the release of her solo debut album, Here I Am in 2005. In 2006, Raven was signed to the indie record label, Eleven Seven, and in 2007 re-released the songs on her debut album along with a few new songs on an album titled Set Me Free. In 2012, Raven began production of her second album, Songs from a Blackbird, which was released in Norway on 8 April 2013.
Natalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian singer, actress and television personality. Born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales, she began her career in musical theatre. She later pursued an acting career in 1998 with guest appearances in television shows. Bassingthwaighte rose to prominence in 2003 on the Australian soap opera Neighbours for her role as Izzy Hoyland, which earned her three Logie Award nominations.
Whatever Will Be is the debut studio album by Australian singer Tammin Sursok, released on 22 May 2005 by Sony BMG Music Entertainment. It debuted at number thirteen on the top 50 Australian ARIA Charts. It features the singles "Pointless Relationship", "Whatever Will Be" and "It's a Beautiful Thing". The album spent eleven weeks in the top 100.
"Pointless Relationship" is the debut single of Australian actress Tammin from her first album, Whatever Will Be (2005). The song was co-written by Norwegian singer Marion Raven for her debut solo album but was given to Tammin instead. Released as a single on 15 November 2004, "Pointless Relationship" peaked at number five on the Australia ARIA Singles Chart, becoming Tammin's highest-charting single.
"Whatever Will Be" is the second song released by Australian actress Tammin from her first album, Whatever Will Be (2005). Issued as a CD single on 28 March 2005, "Whatever Will Be" reached number 13 on the Australian Singles Chart.
Colleen Hewett is an Australian singer and actress.
Colleen Carlton is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network, last portrayed by Tammin Sursok. The character was born during the March 5, 1992, episode as the daughter of Brad Carlton and Traci Abbott. After leaving the soap opera three years later, the character returned as a teenager in 2001, portrayed by Lyndsy Fonseca, who remained in the role until 2005. The following year, the role was recast with Adrianne León, who portrayed the character for a year until Sursok took over. Sursok exited the role in 2009, following the death of the character. In 2010, an uncredited actress reprised the role in a dream.
Gypsy Nash is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Kimberley Cooper. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 18 February 1998. Gypsy and her on-screen family the Nashes were introduced to fill the void of Debra Lawrance's departure as Pippa Ross, to form the main family at the caravan park home, often described as "the centre of Summer Bay". Cooper quit the serial in 2001 and last appeared on 15 February 2002. Cooper has won two awards for her portrayal of Gypsy and is often referred to as a "sex symbol" of the serial. In June 2011, it was announced that Cooper had reprised her role as Gypsy. She returned on 9 September 2011 and departed on 13 October 2011.
Home and Away: Secrets and the City is an exclusive-to-video and DVD special of Australia's most popular soap opera Home and Away. In 2002, it was only released on video and a year later it received a DVD release. It is hosted by Home and Away star Tammin Sursok — in character as Dani Sutherland, not as herself — and contains three episodes, two of which were aired on TV: Shattered Hearts and Broken Dreams, from the fifteenth season of Home and Away, while the third episode, Secrets and the City will never be aired on TV; it is only to be seen on the video and DVD.
Megan Alexanda Washington is an Australian musician and songwriter who has worked mononymously as Washington. Originally performing jazz music, her style shifted to indie pop and alternative rock. She has released three studio albums, I Believe You Liar, There There and Batflowers. Both I Believe You Liar and There There reached the top 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart and Batflowers peaked in the top 25.
Danielle "Dani" Sutherland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Tammin Sursok. The actress successfully auditioned for the role of Dani in 1999 and she called the experience incredible. Sursok considered herself lucky to get the part, as the audition was the first one she had had since acquiring an agent. She made her first screen appearance as Dani during the episode broadcast on 19 June 2000. After four years in the role, Sursok made the decision to leave Home and Away in 2004 to pursue a music career and other acting opportunities and as a result Dani departed the series on 12 November 2004. She later explained that she had also become frustrated with the serial's producers. Sursok was glad that her character was written out of the show without anything bad happening to her.
"Miss Me x 100" is the fifth episode of the fifth season and the one-hundredth episode overall of the ABC Family mystery drama series Pretty Little Liars. The episode, serving as the special 100th episode, was broadcast on July 8, 2014. It was directed by Norman Buckley and written by showrunner I. Marlene King, and features the return of Tyler Blackburn as Caleb Rivers, his first episode since leaving the show in the fourth season for its sister show Ravenswood. In addition, Tammin Sursok returned to the show as Jenna Marshall, having last been seen in the ninth episode of the fourth season.
"Along Comes Mary" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of the American mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, which aired on July 16, 2016, on the cable network Freeform. The hundred and forty-fifth episode on the series, it was directed by Norman Buckley and written by Bryan M. Holdman. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 0.6 and was viewed by 1.17 million viewers. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
