Tracie Thoms


Tracie Nicole Thoms is an American television, film, and stage actress and singer. She is known for her roles in Rent, Cold Case, The Devil Wears Prada, Death Proof, and the short-lived Fox television series Wonderfalls.

Early life and education

Thoms was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, daughter of Donald H. Thoms, a VP of Programming at PBS and television director, and wife Mariana Davis. She has a younger brother, Austin. She started studying acting at age 10 and later on attended the Baltimore School for the Arts.
She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Howard University in 1997. She then attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division as a member of Group 30, which also included actors Lee Pace and Anthony Mackie.

Career

Thoms is known for her role of Mahandra McGinty in the television show Wonderfalls. She also played the part of Sasha in the US version of the T.V. series As If, which was cancelled after three episodes. In 2005, she was added to the cast of the CBS crime drama Cold Case, as the homicide detective, Kat Miller. Thoms has also made guest appearances on Law & Order and The Shield.
Thoms has appeared in several movies, most notably in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Rent in which she plays Joanne Jefferson, lawyer and lover of Maureen Johnson. She took over the role from Fredi Walker, who played Joanne in the original Broadway production of Rent but, at age 43, was deemed too old to reprise the role. Prior to being cast as Joanne, Thoms had considered herself a fan of the show, having seen it on Broadway several times.
She was featured in the 2002 Comedy Central film Porn 'n Chicken and the 2004 films Brother to Brother and The Warrior Class. Thoms appeared in the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada as Lily. Thoms has completed filming on the City Lights Pictures movie Descent along with Rent co-stars Wilson Jermaine Heredia and Rosario Dawson and will soon begin filming Jimmie with co-stars Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight. She appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, alongside Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Thoms made her Broadway debut in Regina Taylor's Drowning Crow. She has also appeared in several off-Broadway and regional productions, including Up Against the Wind, The Oedipus Plays, A Raisin in the Sun Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Exonerated and The Antigone Project. On July 18, 2008, she joined the final cast of Rent starting July 26, 2008, reprising the character of Joanne, replacing Merle Dandridge. The final performance was made into a DVD: .
Thoms reprised her role as Joanne for another production of Rent, directed by Neil Patrick Harris, at the Hollywood Bowl from August 6–8, 2010.
In the fall of 2010 she appeared in the concert revue For The Record: Quentin Tarantino in Los Angeles, presented by ROCKLA for Show at Barre. It ran from August 12, 2010, to October 30, 2010, and also starred Jenna Leigh Green, Autumn Reeser, Ty Taylor, and Audra Mae. From November 2010 through January 2011, Thoms starred in Show at Barre's For The Record: John Hughes, alongside Barrett Foa, Von Smith and Ty Taylor. In 2011 she appeared at Show at Barre in the revue For the Record: Baz Luhrmann, from February 12, 2011, to June 30, 2011, with Jenna Leigh Green, Arielle Jacobs, Tinuke Oyefule and Kate Reinders.
She played Etta, Diana Prince's personal assistant, in NBC's Wonder Woman pilot.
Thoms had a role in the 2014 version of Annie, playing Annie's "fake mother", a character based on Lily St. Regis in the original musical.
In 2016 she appeared in the Broadway revival of Falsettos as Dr. Charlotte.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004Brother to BrotherMother
2005Everyone's DepressedCrystal
2005RentJoanne Jefferson
2006'Lily
2007'Thelma RosbachVideo
2007DescentDenise
2007Death ProofKim
2007Sex and BreakfastSarah
2008'Joanne Jefferson
2009Peter and VandyMarissa
2009Good HairHerself
2011I Will FollowTiffany
2012Safe HouseCIA Analyst
2012Meeting EvilLatisha Rogers
2012LooperBeatrix
2013RazeTeresa
2014AnnieAnnie's ‘Female kidnapper’
2016EquityMelanie
2016The DrowningAngela
2018The BasementLauren
2019EmmettSandraPost-production
2019Straight Up Dr. Larson

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002America's Most Terrible ThingsTerriTV movie
2002As IfSashaMain role
2002Porn 'n ChickenAndreaTV movie
2003'BonnieEpisode: "Dominoes Falling"
2004WonderfallsMahandra McGintyMain role
2005Law & OrderLinda ZimanEpisode: "Mammon"
2005Independent LensMom on SubwayEpisode: "Brother to Brother"
2005–2010Cold CaseKat MillerMain role ; 97 episodes
2008This Can't Be My LifeRachel BrooksEpisode: "The Pink Pages"
2009Private PracticeColetteEpisode: "Pushing the Limits"
2010Human TargetMichelleEpisode: "Dead Head"
2011Wonder WomanEtta CandyUnsold television pilot
2011SuitsBeckyEpisode: "Tricks of the Trade"
2011Bandwagon: The SeriesTracie ThomsMain role; 11 episodes
2011Harry's LawADA Katherine KeplerRecurring role; 4 episodes
2013Emily Owens M.D.Natalia GorgiaEpisode: "Emily and... The Teapot"
2013GothicaMinaUnsold television pilot
2013The Good WifeJudy BishopEpisode: "Runnin' with the Devil"
2013Person of InterestMonica JacobsEpisode: "Trojan Horse"
2014VeepAlicia BryceEpisode: "Alicia"
2014'HerselfEpisode: “Tracie & Sammie”
2016–2018LoveSusan CherylRecurring role; 10 episodes
2016The Mindy ProjectKathyEpisode: "My Kid Stays in the Picture"
2016BrainDeadAshley CookEpisode: "Taking on Water: How Leaks in D.C. Are Discovered and Patched"
2017Criminal MindsMonica WalkerEpisodes: “Unforgettable”, “Wheels Up”
2017American GodsBufferEpisode: "Lemon Scented You"
2017–2018GoneFBI Agent Maya KennedyMain role; 10 episodes
2017Wisdom of the CrowdSpecial Agent Lydia DriscollEpisode: "Denial of Service"
2018–present9-1-1Karen WilsonRecurring role; 19 episodes
2018UnREALFiona BerlinRecurring role ; 10 episodes
2018The FirstNancyRecurring role; 4 episodes
2018Grey's AnatomyRoberta GibbsEpisode: "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave"
2019–2020Truth Be ToldDesireé ScovilleMain role; 8 episodes
2019The Good DoctorPatricia ReynoldsEpisode: "Claire"
2019Abby'sEmilyEpisode: "Book Club"
2020Station 19Dr. Diane LewisEpisodes: "Something About What Happens When We Talk" & "Dream a Little Dream of Me"
2020'FBI Agent CutterEpisodes: "Game On" & "Open Warfare"
2020BlindspotFBI Director Arla GrigoryanEpisodes: "Love You to Bits and Bytes" & "Iunne Ennui"

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004Drowning CrowMary Bow
2008RentJoanne JeffersonReplacement
2010RentJoanne JeffersonHollywood Bowl
2011–2012Stick FlyTaylor
2014Lost LakeVeronica
2016–2017FalsettosCharlotteBroadway revival