"Tanya Thai McBride combines great comic timing with the very sadness that permeates Blues music." - Chicago Stage Standard

Lauded as "a delightfully feisty actress" by The New York Times, Tanya Thai McBride is known for creating physically dynamic characters with great heart. Tanya was most recently seen at Court Theatre as Bolette in The Lady From the Sea, as well as Mariana in All’s Well That Ends Well at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. She has also had the pleasure of co-starring in HBO’s Somebody Somewhere.

Tanya received her M.F.A. in Acting/New Works Creation at The Ohio State University. There she studied classical theatre as well as new work development with professionals such as SITI Company, Royal Court Theatre, and Goat Island. Tanya is an avid dancer, which led her to study and teach Laban, Viewpoints and Suzuki. She has also studied physical performance with Daniel Stein at the Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre.

Tanya has appeared with Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Old Globe, Guthrie Theater, Goodman Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and The Other Theatre Co., among others. In 2014 she also flew to China with the Goodman Theatre to take part in the Wuzhen Theatre Festival. TV credits include Somebody Somewhere, 61st Street, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire. Tanya can be seen in the independent feature film, Chrysalis, for which she won Best Supporting Actress at the British Horror Film Festival.

Tanya has two beautiful children from whom she’s constantly trying to hide so that she can watch her KDrama and eat her ice cream in peace.  

MFA in Acting/New Works Creation - The Ohio State University

BA in Acting - California State University, Northridge

AWARDS - Best Supporting Actress, Chrysalis, British Horror Film Festival 2015