Tonya Cornelisse is an award winning actress of stage and screen, as well as a critically acclaimed voiceover artist and writer. Tonya recurs on Showtime’s YELLOWJACKETS, as well as the comedy series HITMEN on SKY (UK)/NBC’s Peacock (US). Tonya recently wrapped the feature film MARKED MEN based on a wildly popular series of novels of the same title.
Other television and film work include SLUMBERLAND opposite Jason Momoa (Netflix), Nick Cassavetes’ GOD IS A BULLET, the Sundance Film Festival darling MOPEand LOVE IS NOT LOVE. OnAmazon Prime, Tonya stars in the short-form series SISTERS. On TUBI TV, THE HOMEMADE SKETCH SHOW, Tonya shines as a series regular and writer of this homemade SNL style sketch show.
Tonya’s roots are from the theatre, she has performed in numerous plays on and off-broadway in NYC and throughout the country.A force in the theatre scene, Tonya was the recipient of the Best Supporting Actress award at The Humana Festival by the Actors theatre of Louisville and the Theatre Critics Circle Association. She has worked at The Longacre Theatre, the Public Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Darryl Roth Theatre, Atlantic Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Whitefire Theatre and more. She is a proud member of Academy Award Winner Bobby Moresco’s Actors Gym and Ensemble Studio Theatre.
*voiceover: An accomplished voice-over artist, she helmed the reigns for Lexus for 5 years. She is an award winning narrator for Penguin Random House, Audible and Findaway Voices amongst others. Other commercial campaigns include Dove, Lipton Tea, Hellmans, and Nike. As a young child, Tonya’s natural husky voicewas often confused for her husky-framed father when answering the family phone.
*writing: Tonya has penned a number of screenplays, and short stories includingDog Lovers, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She is currently writing a play through Ensemble Studio Theatre, working title Barbaric Therapy.
*Training/Education: Tonya attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she double majored in theatre and psychology. She was lucky to have the opportunity to be mentored and perform alongside the great late Alan Arkin, as well as privately study with many of the great acting maestros including Harold Guskin, George DiCenzo, Stan Kirsch & Margie Habor.