You may recognize actress Tanna Frederick by her 2006 breakout role in the film “Hollywood Dreams” or maybe her most recent production “Two Ways Home,” which can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
As tough as it is to make a name for yourself in Hollywood, Tanna has succeeded in doing so time after time with a lengthy list of movies she has been a star in or had a part in producing. Tanna’s journey from being homecoming queen and valedictorian at the University of Iowa to a Los Angeles movie star on the big screen is an inspiring story to say the least.
Frederick swiftly moved to California after her college graduation, and from there her life in Los Angeles began. “I had a full ride scholarship to Iowa Law and much to my parent’s chagrin headed straight to Los Angeles and started waiting tables on Ventura Boulevard,” said Frederick.
The film Hollywood Dreams brought Frederick to her first breakout role alongside costars Justin Kirk, Melissa Leo, and David Proval. She starred as a young girl who had moved away from her hometown in Iowa, to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a movie star. The plot of the film almost perfectly portrays Tanna’s real life journey and she was able to win a Best Actress award for her role at the Fargo Film Festival in 2008.
Over the years, Tanna was able to lead in many TV, stage and film roles. Her lengthy list of acting experience helped her transition into the production side of film making. Frederick’s latest production “Two Ways Home.” The actress stars and had part in producing the film, which has won praise since its release in 2019.
Two Ways Home tells the emotional story of an Iowan woman, who struggles with a bipolar diagnosis. The “soul-touching and moving” film according to Rotten Tomatoes, compassionately follows Kathy, who is played by Fredericks, after she is released from prison on behalf of good behavior. The movie follows Kathy’s life after prison and her reunion with her 12-year-old daughter and her unwelcoming elder grandfather.
Frederick’s film TWO WAYS HOME which can currently be seen on Amazon Prime, was award winning and her biggest accomplishment to date. Frederick has received glowing praise from press such as the New York Times, “Frederick is blessed with conviction and she credibly anchors the movie with breezy charisma”, and The Hollywood Reporter, “Frederick delivers a fully credible, sympathetic turn as the troubled protagonist.”
She also played as Beverly Joan Perez in the TV short series “Defrost” (2019) which was directed by Randal Kleiser who also famously directed “Grease” (1978) and “The Blue Lagoon” (1980).
Outside of her acting and producing career, Tanna is involved in environmental philanthropic work. As an avid surfer and environmentalist Tanna founded her own Project Save our Surf in 2008. Her goal is to bring together the surfing and entertainment communities together in support of cleaning the oceans.
“Project Save Our Surf is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of our oceans and freshwater, and to the preservation of marine life.“
Tanna’s acting and producing career are not over yet, the triple threat has many ambitions for the new year and for her career as a whole. A main goal of hers is to have parts in big productions lead by HBO, Netflix, Paramount and and Fox on both sides acting and producing. Tanna believes she will have the opportunities in five years, maybe even be on SNL too.
Overall, the actress really just wants to inspire others with her work. She wants her work to make people proud of themselves and feel less alone at the end of the day. “My personal mission statement is to create art that makes people feel less alone and walk out feeling better about themselves,” said Frederick.
Frederick’s inspiring story from starting out as a young girl from Iowa to a Hollywood success story is portrayed in every project she takes on. Her passion for acting and producing is evident on and off screen, and her career is still flourishing every single day.
To learn more about Tanna’s past and future film projects visit her website, https://tanna-frederick.com/ .
