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Robin Tunney (born June 19, 1972) is an American actress who made her film debut in Encino Man (1992), and later rose to prominence with headline parts in the cult film films Empire Records (1995) and The Craft (1996). Her performance in Niagara, Niagara (1997) won her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She then had leading roles in End of Days (1999), Supernova, Vertical Limit (both 2000), Cherish, The Secret Lives of Dentists (both 2002) and The In-Laws (2003), and earned wider recognition playing Veronica Donovan on Prison Break (2005–2006) and Teresa Lisbon on The Mentalist (2008–2015).
Tunney's portrayal of a victim in Open Window (2006) was praised. Her subsequent film credits included Hollywoodland (2006), August, The Burning Plain (both 2008), Passenger Side (2009), Looking Glass, and Monster Party (both 2018). She starred on the short-lived ABC series The Fix (2019).
Tunney grew up in Orland Park, a southwest suburb of Chicago. She was raised Irish Catholics, attended Carl Sandburg High School, Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and the Chicago Academy for the Arts in Chicago, and resided in Palos Heights, also in the Chicago area.
Tunney appeared in the 2004 pilot episode of the medical drama series House as a kindergarten instructor who suffers from an aphasia. She subsequently portrayed Veronica Donovan on the first season of Prison Break, which was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. Tunney appeared in 2007's Closing the Ring. In the following year, she began one of her longest roles as Teresa Lisbon on the television series The Mentalist, which lasted seven years. In 2018, she led the thriller film Looking Glass alongside Nicolas Cage, which was negatively received although her performance earned praise. In 2019, she starred in the short-lived legal drama series The Fix.
On June 28, 2006, Tunney won her table in the eighth tournament series of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, moving on to the final table. The finale aired on July 5, 2006, where she finished second to Jason Alexander, earning $200,000 for her charity of choice, the Children's Health Fund. In August 2006, Tunney played in the World Series of Poker after having her entrance fee covered by the online cardroom PokerRoom.com.
| Cameo appearance |
| Episode: "But He Loves Me" |
| Episode: "Corky's Travels" |
| Television film |
| 5 episodes |
| Television film |
| 5 episodes |
| Television miniseries |
| Episode: "Silent Night, Holy Cow Part II" |
| Episode: "Mayhem" |
| Television film |
| Television film |
| Television film |
| Episode: "Developing" |
| Episode: "Pilot" |
| 23 episodes |
| Episode: "Slaughterhouse on the Prairie" |
| 151 episodes |
| Television film |
| Episode: "The End of the Beginning" |
| Episode: "Miss Bareback Buckaroo" |
| 10 episodes |
| 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Smokefall | Violet | MCC Theater |
| 1997 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Actress | The Craft | ||
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight (shared with Fairuza Balk) | ||||
| Venice Film Festival | Best Actress | Niagara, Niagara | |||
| 1998 | Gotham Awards | Best Breakthrough Performance | |||
| 1999 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Female Lead | |||
| 2001 | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Actress – Action | Vertical Limit | ||
| 2006 | Boston Film Festival | Best Actress | Open Window | ||
| 2015 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Crime Drama TV Actress | The Mentalist |
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