Tawny Newsome

• Name — Tawny Newsome • Birthplace — Vacaville, California, United States • Education — DePaul University (BFA) • Occupation — Musician, actress, comedian, writer, podcaster • Years Active — 2008–present • Website — tawnynewsome.com/

Tawny Newsome was born in Vacaville, California to a biracial couple and grew up on a ranch that her mother stills lives on. As a teenager she was a Junior Rodeo champion. Newsome attended the DePaul Theatre School in Chicago. After graduating she became a regular performer in Chicago Theatre. Newsome was a member of The Second City from 2013-2014.

Newsome was a backup singer in a touring Talking Heads tribute band. This later led to her being cast in Documentary Now! in a similar role. Newsome's first major television roles were as Chelsea Leight-Leigh on Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ and Nina on The Comedy Get Down. Newsome has been a co-host of the podcast Yo, Is This Racist? alongside Andrew Ti since 2018. She also appears as a frequent guest on podcasts such as Comedy Bang! Bang! and Spontaneanation with Paul F. Tompkins. Newsome is also a musician and is a member of the band Four Lost Souls alongside Jon Langford, Bethany Thomas, and John Szymanski. The group released a debut self-titled album in 2017. Newsome was in the main cast of Brockmire in its third season. She was also cast in the 2019 ABC pilot Woman Up. She was cast as a lead voice in the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Lower Decks. She appeared in a lead role as Maj. Angela Ali in the Netflix series Space Force starting in 2020. Since 2020, Newsome has co-hosted Star Trek: The Pod Directive, the official Star Trek podcast, along with comedian Paul F. Tompkins.

Since 2020, Newsome and her husband have lived in Southern California. She is a Trekkie.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2013 — Chicago Fire — Jen — Episode: "A Problem House" • 2014 — Crisis — EMT — Episode: "Best Laid Plans" • 2015 — Sirens — Jami — Episode: "Balls" • 2016 — 2 Broke Girls — Chrissy — Episode: "And the Basketball Jones" • Comedy Bang! Bang! — Worried Mom — Episode: "Zach Galifianakis Wears Rolled Khakis and Shoes with Brown Laces" • Take My Wife — Pam — Episode: "Punchline" • Documentary Now! — Backup Singer — Episode: "Final Transmission" • 2016–2019 — Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ — Chelsea Leight-Leigh — 34 episodes • 2017 — Nobodies — Grace — 3 episodes • The Carmichael Show — Jessica — Episode: "Three Year Anniversary" • Do You Want to See a Dead Body? — Marion — Episode: "A Body and a High School Reunion (with Joe Lo Truglio)" • The Comedy Get Down — Nina — 10 episodes • 2019 — Brockmire — Gabby Taylor — 6 episodes • The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle — Performer — Episode: "Money" • HarmonQuest — Donna (voice) / Herself — Episode: "Ivory Quay" • Big Mouth — (voice) — Episode: "Duke" • Perfect Harmony — Georgia — 3 episodes • 2019–2020 — Craig of the Creek — Jasmine Williams (voice) — 3 episodes • 2019–2022 — Sherman's Showcase — Various — 5 episodes • 2020 — Superstore — Isabel — Episode: "Zephra Cares" • The Twilight Zone — Zara Delancey — Episode: "Ovation" • Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun — The Queen — Episode: "Dinner Party" • 2020–2022 — Space Force — Angela Ali — Main role • 2020–2024 — Star Trek: Lower Decks — Ensign/LtJG Beckett Mariner (voice) — Main role, 5 seasons Nominated—Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Voice Actress in an Animated Series (2021) • 2021 — True Story — Billie — 6 episodes • 2022 — Physical — Wanda — 5 episodes • Tuca & Bertie — (voice) — Episode: "Leveling Up" • Murderville — Mayor Palmer — Episode: "Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery" • 2023 — Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — Ensign Beckett Mariner — Episode: "Those Old Scientists" • 2025 — The Paper — Harper Brewster — Episode: "The Five W's" • 2026 — Star Trek: Starfleet Academy — Illa Dax — Episode: "Series Acclimation Mil"