Tawny Kitaen burst onto television screens when MTV still showed music videos, many of which she appeared in, including Whitesnake’s hits “Here We Go Again” and “Is This Love”. Now, Kitaen showcases her acting skills in the award winning film, Come Simi. In the role of Dee-Dee, the aging porn actress, Kitaen shines, breaking through her previously typecast parts and emerging as an actor who stretches beyond the stereotypes, and showcases skills that are wide-ranging and on point. To play Dee-Dee, Kitaen relied on her uncanny ability to deconstruct everything in life, in this case, the film’s character, which is based on a real person, and subsequently bring to life a narcissistic yet inherently kind and slightly crazy character. In Come Simi, Tawny turns in her most evocative and emotive performance to date.
Born Julie Kitaen and renaming herself Tawny at the age of 12, Kitaen began her teen years more independently than most. Left to her own devices with little to no parental supervision for most of this time, Kitaen dropped out of high school, a decision that she not only regretted but rectified by returning to school, attending college, and happily completing her studies in Political Science during the infamous WGA strike. In her late teens, she successfully pursued a modeling career while her sights were set on acting. The mid ‘80’s were filled with activity on all fronts for Kitaen: Tawny appeared in several glam rock videos, even gracing the album covers of some of the genres best, Ratt and Whitesnake; her acting career took off as she starred in Witchboard and opposite Tom Hanks in Bachelor Party; she married Whitesnake’s David Coverdale who she subsequently divorced two years later. Throughout this period, Kitaen continued to pursue one of the things she is most passionate about – acting.
The ‘90 brought Kitaen continued success as an actress. She co-hosted America’s Funniest People alongside Dave Coulier and nearly simultaneously co-starred in The New WKRP in Cincinnati. She also began to appear in many long-running comedies and dramas including episodes of Seinfeld and Married With Children. This decade also ushered in a new role for Kitaen- motherhood. During this time, she gave birth to two daughters, moved to Orange County, CA., with her then-husband, professional baseball player, Chuck Finley and focused on raising her children deciding to put her acting aside for the time being.
The dawn of the new millennium rang in Kitaen’s revitalized pursuit of acting with new roles in hit dramas like CSI. She also starred in two short films, Happy Hour and Here We Go Again. Throughout her career, Tawny has appeared in over 15 films and countless television shows. Today, Kitaen looks ahead to doing more of what she truly loves- acting. With her return to the screen playing the role of DeeDee in the award-winning film Come Simi, Kitaen has shown that through the years she has continued to hone her skills subsequently turning in an outstanding performance as one of the three women starring in the film. The future unfolds for Tawny Kitaen as she looks for roles in which she can continue to showcase her acting skills, breaking free from preconceived notions and stereotypical roles.
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