Barbara Tyson's illustrious career in the entertainment industry spans over four decades, with a wide range of roles in movies, sitcoms, dramatic series, and television commercials. Her journey began at the tender age of seventeen, when she started her voice-over career, eventually recording over 7,000 radio and TV voice-overs in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, and Vancouver.
Tyson's career trajectory took her from Toronto to New York City, where she studied acting at Carnegie Hall with renowned coach Freddie Kareman and Herbert Berghof at HB Studios in Greenwich Village. Her big break came at the age of eighteen, when she was cast as Carol Burnett's daughter in the HBO film "Between Friends" starring Carol Burnett and Elizabeth Taylor.
Tyson's subsequent roles showcased her versatility as an actress, including a contract role on the popular NBC Daytime series "Another World" as singer Dawn Rollo, the first character ever in daytime drama to battle AIDS. This role garnered much publicity, including a feature story in People Magazine.
As a singer-songwriter, Tyson fronted a band while in New York and was able to sing her original composition "Bye Bye" live on Another World. She had the opportunity to perform at iconic venues such as "The Stone Pony" in Asbury Park and CBGB's in New York City.
After working and studying in New York City, Tyson moved to Los Angeles, where she was cast in several productions that took her all over the world. Her extensive filmography includes Doctors, Cowgirls, Lawyers, and Madams, Killers, Cops, Aliens, and Singers, showcasing her impressive range as an actress.
Tyson's notable television credits include four seasons on the popular Canadian television series "Neon Rider," and starring roles in the Stephen J. Cannell series "TWO," alongside American actor Michael Easton, and the USA Network series "Peacemakers," opposite Tom Berenger.
As her career continued to grow, Tyson was cast as series regular Madame Luci Prescott opposite Tom Berenger in the Western "Peacemakers" for USA Network, and then as Mrs. Clause opposite Beau Bridges as Santa, in "A Christmas Secret." She was love interest to Jim Belushi in "K9-PI," and Billy Connolly's wife in "Beautiful Joe." Tyson also worked alongside Sam Elliot in "The Final Cut" and Timothy Hutton in the Mini-Series "5 Days to Midnight."
Tyson has also appeared as a guest star on numerous television series, including E.R., The Outer Limits, Poltergeist, Fringe, Painkiller Jane, Fear Itself, and Alien Nation, among others. Her sitcom credits include the memorable "Bambi," secretary #22 on "Murphy Brown" with Candice Bergen, where she played a secretary who ran a phone-sex service off the side of her desk in the season 2 opener "Anchors Away."
