Tonja Walker

Last updated

Tonja Walker
Born
Other namesTonja Davidson
Tonja Walker-Davidson
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1981–present
Relatives Tamara Walker, sister
Website http://www.tonjawalker.net/

Tonja Walker is an American actress and singer, who is also a former beauty pageant titleholder who has competed in the Miss USA pageant. She is known for her role as Alex Olanov on One Life to Live and for her role as Olivia St. John on General Hospital .

Contents

Career

Walker's first acting role was in Liar's Moon with Matt Dillon.

Walker's work has been primarily as a performer on daytime dramas. Her first daytime role was on the television serial Capitol . She played Lizbeth Bachman, a sophisticated heiress torn between playboy Jordy Clegg and handicapped doctor Thomas McCandless. Walker played the role from the show's launch until she left in 1984.

She returned to daytime as mob princess Olivia St. John on General Hospital from 1988 to 1990, playing a villainess complicating the lives of Duke Lavery and his family. Walker would make a brief return to this role in 2017.

Walker was then cast as Alex Olanov Hesser Buchanan Buchanan on One Life to Live . Alex was initially an FBI agent, but became involved with the mob. Walker had the longest run in this role, playing Alex from 1990 to 1997, with several return visits in 2001 and 2002. She made additional appearances as Alex on One Life to Live in August 2007 for the show's 9,999th and 10,000th episodes, [1] [2] Her character later returned again on November 2, 2007 for a brief run [3] and again on January 2, 2009, [4] March 15, 2011 and November 17, 2011.

She also had recurring roles as Marie Green on Guiding Light from 2003 to 2004, where she worked with Capitol costar Marj Dusay, and as D.A. Grace Nancier on Passions , a role meant to spoof Nancy Grace.

Walker is also a singer and has released one album collection of her songs. She produced a film in which she also appeared, The Derby Stallion. The film starred Zac Efron, Bill Cobbs, and William R. Moses and was released on video on demand and on DVD in 2007.

Personal life

Walker has two daughters and three stepchildren. [5] Her two daughters are Isabella and Abrianna, who played her on-screen daughters in The Derby Stallion . Her three stepchildren are named Evan, Samantha, and Alec. All of her children use the last name Davidson. [6]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981 Mr. Merlin Jessie Taylor
1982-84 Capitol Lizbeth Bachman4 episodes
1982 Liar's Moon Karen Covucci
1983 Making of a Male Model Alma Rockwell
1985 Hunter Claire JorgensenS2.E4 - "Rich Girl"
1986 T. J. Hooker Nancy BoscaS5.E16 - "Blood Sport"
1987KidnappedClaudia
1987 Spies Lana
1988–90 General Hospital Olivia St. John 129 episodes
1990-2011 One Life to Live Alex Olanov 54 episodes
1994Clear Cutshort
2003-04 Guiding Light Marie Green3 episodes
2005-07 Passions Grace Nancier13 episodes
2005 Never Been Thawed Christian Band Slut Independent film
2007 The Derby Stallion Linda McCardleco-producer
2011SpyYvonne Hayworth
2012 Excuse Me for Living Elaine
2014My Dog the Space TravelerPearl Otto
2014 Tainted Dreams Tina Scott
2016Exiled Out EastLynette Cooke
2024Last CulpritTracy
2024Destination HeavenDeniceS1.E2 - "I Will Follow Him"

References

  1. "One Life to Live recap (8/16/07)". ABC.com (Internet Archive). August 16, 2007. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  2. "One Life to Live recap (8/17/07)". ABC.com (Internet Archive). August 17, 2007. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  3. "'One Life To Live' Daily Update". November 2, 2007. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
  4. "Comings and Goings: Tonja Walker (Alex Olanov)". Soap Opera Digest . Vol. 33. December 30, 2008. p. 17.
  5. "Resume". Archived from the original on May 23, 2010.
  6. "Walker, Tonja 1960– (Tonja Walker Davidson, Tonja Walker–Davidson)". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.