Tracey Birdsall (born July 6, also known as Tracey Birdsall-Smith) is an American actress and producer.
Birdsall is best known for her longstanding collaboration with sci-fi movie director, Neil Johnson for more than three decades, with Birdsall first starring as Joni in Johnson's 1992 short film, Invasion Force.
Early career Birdsall was born on July 6, in Van Nuys, California. and grew up in Burbank, California.An Exclusive Interview with Actress-Producer Tracey Birdsall-Smith , Its Just Movies, by Sean Gerski
She started performing as a young girl both on stage and on camera. She recalls "My mother drove me to the Gary Dance Studio for lessons constantly as far back as I can remember. She would sew my costumes, drive me to rehearsals, and support me in my shows. It was in my blood, and my fondest childhood memories were on stage." As a teenager, she sang in choirs at local churches while maintaining an interest in computer science and robotics. After getting her first commercial for a Sunkist Soda commercial in high school, Birdsall appeared in several other TV commercials while she attended acting classes and went to auditions. She appeared in the soap opera Loving, hosted Million Dollar Showcase of Homes and was a special news reporter for CNBC.
Career
In 2010, Birdsall co-wrote, produced and starred in the TV movie short, Tick Tock. The same year, Tick Tock had appeared in several film festivals in the United States, Mexico and New Zealand, winning several awards including from Kent Film Festival, The Accolade Film Awards, The Mexico City International Film Festival and was a Top 10 finalist in The 2010 USA Film Festival.
In 2011, Birdsall, at age 48, was one of 10 finalists nationwide to make it into the Wilhelmina Models "40+" contest."Malibu mom makes finals of national model search", The Malibu Times, August 3, 2011.
On June 10, 2015, Birdsall was invited as the guest of honor to the Temecula Independent Film Festival and presented the Trailblazer Award. The same night, Birdsall attended the world premiere of action/sci-fi film, Doomsday (2015), which Birdsall also co-starred in.
In 2017, for her performance as Sienna in the 2016 science fiction film Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter, Birdsall earned several awards; including the Female Action Performer of the Year Award at the Action On Film Festival, the Best Actress Jury Award from the West Coast Film Festival, and the Best Actress Jury Award from the Los Angeles Theatrical Release Awards Competition. She was also nominated for Best Actress at the 50th Annual WorldFest-Houston in 2017.
Birdsall has also appeared in the title character of the 2018 comedy feature Who's Jenna...?, and in Season 2 of the Netflix comedy series, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.
On March 14, 2019, the Women in Film Forum was invited by The United Nations as to participate and speak at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women's 63rd Session in New York City. Birdsall was invited and spoke as a member of the organization. Birdsall spoke on the topics of her upbringing, gender identity, Women in Film, the challenges of acting and producing as a single mother, her acting studies under acting coach Margie Haber, and gender equality.
The same week, The WeLink International Film Festival was also held at the United Nations. Zoe Chang, Mulitmedia Guild President and speaking member of the Women In Film Forum, presented Birdsall with the Actress of the Year of Women in Film in the Delegates Room Dining Hall and Birdsall was later invited to participate in the filmmaker's panel.
Birdsall was involved in several projects by director, writer, and longtime collaborator, Neil Johnson. She took a lead role as Dijanne in the time travel series The Time War (2023) and reprised her role of Sienna in the television series Age of Darkness (2023) that same year.
Personal life Birdsall lives in Malibu, California. She flew relief missions to less accessible airports in Haitifollowing the 2010 Haiti earthquake. She has two daughters and one son. Birdall's oldest daughter, Nicky Birdsall ( Pierson), is also an actor and co-starred with her mother on a number of projects such as I Might Even Love You (1998), Tick Tock (2010), Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter (2016) and an upcoming independent sci-fi/time-travel film, At the Edge of Time (TBA) as Occulus. Nicky Birdsall was also briefly engaged once to a Greek sea captain while on a family holiday cruise in the Panama Canal and frequented the Falkland Islands to photograph penguins.
Steamboat Willie composer and Walt Disney musician, Bert Lewis, is Birdall's great-grandfather.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1991CasinoShort Film1992Invasion ForceJoniShort Film1995HorripulationsCarolShort Film1997The PlagueMotherShort Film1998I Might Even Love YouAllie Parker2000The Prophet's GameReporter Carol Stone2010Tick TockKittyShort Film2013The GroundedCathy-Lee Peterson2014Dawn of the Crescent MoonTraceyCourting ChaosHairdresserGoing Very BadlyFrancescaShort FilmDawn of DestructionStarship: ApocalypseDeliverance Computer (voice)2015DoomsdaySpaceship Computer (voice)2016Rogue Warrior: Robot FighterSienna2018Who's Jenna...?Jenna Casey2024Hotel UndergroundCindy Majik
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1985–1988LovingAmy Sanders4 episodes1986Family TiesCammieEpisode: "Beauty and the Bank", uncredited1992Hearts Are WildMonica5 episodesCasinoSarahTV movie2011Church PeopleAndrea Dominico5 episodes2012The Young and the RestlessHot Girl with Tucker McCallEpisode: "Episode #1.9905"2012–2013Etiquette: A Surprisingly Relevant Guide to Good MannersLucille15 episodes2020Isolation the Series5 episodes2021I Think You Should Leave with Tim RobinsonJaneaneEpisode: "Didn't You Say There Was Gonna Be Five People at This Table?"2023The Time WarDijanne8 episodes2023Age of DarknessSienna8 episodes
Writer/Producer I Might Even Love You – producer (1998) Tick Tock (short) – co-writer, producer, actor (2010)
Awards and honors Kent Film Festival, 2010, Best Short Cinematography Accolade Film Awards, 2010, Award of Merit for Best Leading Actress in Tick Tock Accolade Film Awards, 2010, Award of Merit for Best Short Film Mexico City International Film Festival, 2010, Recipient of The Golden Palm Award Action On Film Festival, August 2010, Won for Best Actress in Tick Tock Action on Film Festival, August 2014, Received Honorary Maverick Award Action on Film Festival, August 2014, Won Best Ensemble Cast in Dawn of the Crescent Moon Action on Film Festival, August 2014, Won for Best Comedy Scene in Do You Like Your Balls? Temecula Independent Film Festival, June 2015, Opening Night Guest of Honor and Recipient of the Trailblazer Award Action on Film Festival, August 2016, Female Action Performer of the Year West Coast Film Festival, 2016, Best Actress Jury Award Los Angeles Theatrical Release Awards Competition, 2016, Best Actress Jury Award WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, 2017, Nominated for Best Actress WeLink International Film Festival, 2019, Won the Actress of the Year of Women in Film
References
External links