Tyra Ferrell
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tyra Ferrell (born March 29, 1962) is an American actress.
Ferrell was born in Houston, Texas. She moved from Houston to New York after high school and began her career on stage including roles on Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music (1981) and Ain't Misbehavin on Broadway. She made her screen debut in a small role in the 1981 comedy film So Fine, and later appeared in Lady Beware, School Daze, The Mighty Quinn, and The Exorcist III. On television, she guest-starred in Hill Street Blues, The Twilight Zone, and Quantum Leap, and had recurring roles on Square One Television, The Bronx Zoo, and Thirtysomething. In 1990, Ferrell was regular cast member on the short-lived CBS sitcom City starring Valerie Harper.
In 1991, Ferrell played supporting roles in the films Boyz n the Hood and Jungle Fever. In the same year, she was listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John A. Willis' Screen World. The following year, she starred alongside Wesley Snipes in the comedy film White Men Can't Jump, and later had supporting roles in Equinox, Poetic Justice and The Perfect Score. Ferrell also played the leading role alongside Mare Winningham in the 1993 Lifetime Television movie Better Off Dead. In 1994, she had the recurring role as Dr. Sarah Langworthy during the first season of the NBC medical drama ER, and from 1996 to 1997 she co-starred alongside Corbin Bernsen on the syndicated science fiction series The Cape.
In 2000, Ferrell co-starred alongside Khandi Alexander in the HBO miniseries The Corner. She later guest-starred on Soul Food, The Shield and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2004, she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for her role in the ABC television film NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323. She returned to acting ten years later with the leading role in Tasha Smith's directorial debut, Boxed In. In 2015, Ferrell was cast in a recurring role on the second season of Fox's prime-time soap opera Empire.
Movies 21
Boyz n the Hood
as Mrs. Baker
1991
The Exorcist III
as Nurse Blaine
1990
White Men Can't Jump
as Rhonda Deane
1992
Jungle Fever
as Orin Goode
1991
The Perfect Score
as Desmond's Mother
2004
Poetic Justice
as Jessie
1993
School Daze
as Tasha
1988
So Fine
as Receptionist
1981
Nuts
as Cell Woman #2
1987
The Mighty Quinn
as Isola
1989
Lady Beware
as Nan
1987
Equinox
as Sonya Kirk
1992
A New York Christmas Wedding
as Alison Wilks
2020
Better Off Dead.
as Cutter Dubuque
1993
The Neon Empire
as Samantha
1989
The Bobby Debarge Story
as Etterlene DeBarge
2019
Are You My Mother?
as Tracy
1986
You Must Remember This
as Ricki Sewell
1992
Gimme an 'F'
as Rocket Rafferty
1984
Ulterior Motives
as Receptionist
1993
Boxed in
as Gayle
2015TV Shows 21
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Bethany Taylor
1999
Chicago P.D.
as Mrs. Burton
2014
ER
as Sarah Langworthy
1994
Full House
as Miss Petrie
1987
The Shield
as Karen Mitchell
2002
Quantum Leap
as Delilah 'Lila' Berry
1989
Hill Street Blues
1981
Empire
as Roxanne Ford
2015
Early Edition
as Dr. Marks
1996
Hunter
as Marguerite Montero
1984
The Twilight Zone
as Maid (segment "Dead Woman's Shoes")
1985
Moonlighting
as Hooker
1985
thirtysomething
1987
Soul Food
as Frances Lester
2000
The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
as Loni Sanders
1990
The Bronx Zoo
1987
The Cape
as Mission Specialist Tamara St. James
1996
The Corner
2000
The Corner
as Ella Thompson
2000
City
1990
The Neon Empire
as Samantha
1989