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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

39

Gender

Female

Birthday

1962-03-29 (63 years old)

Place of Birth

Houston, Texas, USA

Also Known As

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.

Known For

Acting

Boyz n the Hood

1991

Boyz n the Hood

as

Mrs. Baker

White Men Can't Jump

1992

White Men Can't Jump

as

Rhonda Deane

Poetic Justice

1993

Poetic Justice

as

Jessie

Boxed in

2015

Boxed in

as

Gayle

Lady Beware

1987

Lady Beware

as

Nan

Equinox

1992

Equinox

as

Sonya Kirk

The Neon Empire

1989

The Neon Empire

as

Samantha

Nuts

1987

Nuts

as

Cell Woman #2

The Exorcist III

1990

The Exorcist III

as

Nurse Blaine

The Mighty Quinn

1989

The Mighty Quinn

as

Isola

So Fine

1981

So Fine

as

Receptionist

Better Off Dead.

1993

Better Off Dead.

as

Cutter Dubuque

The Perfect Score

2004

The Perfect Score

as

Desmond's Mother

The Bobby Debarge Story

2019

The Bobby Debarge Story

as

Etterlene DeBarge

School Daze

1988

School Daze

as

Tasha

Jungle Fever

1991

Jungle Fever

as

Orin Goode

Ulterior Motives

1993

Ulterior Motives

as

Receptionist

You Must Remember This

1992

You Must Remember This

as

Ricki Sewell

Early Edition

Early Edition

as

Dr. Marks

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone

as

Maid (segment "Dead Woman's Shoes")

Moonlighting

Moonlighting

as

Hooker

Soul Food

Soul Food

as

Frances Lester

Quantum Leap

Quantum Leap

as

Delilah 'Lila' Berry

Full House

Full House

as

Miss Petrie

The Cape

The Cape

as

Mission Specialist Tamara St. James

ER

ER

as

Sarah Langworthy

The Neon Empire

The Neon Empire

as

Samantha

The Shield

The Shield

as

Karen Mitchell

Hunter

Hunter

as

Marguerite Montero

Chicago P.D.

Chicago P.D.

as

Mrs. Burton

Production

Crew

Directing