Tonja Walker
Encyclopedia
Tonja Walker is a former beauty pageant titleholder who has competed in the Miss USA
pageant, an actress, and a singer. She is known for her role as Alex Olanov
on One Life to Live
and for her role as Olivia St. John Jerome on General Hospital
.
title in 1980. That year she represented Maryland in the Miss USA 1980 pageant broadcast live from Biloxi, Mississippi
, and placed in the top twelve. She placed sixth after the preliminary round of competition, and went on to place eighth in the final swimsuit competition, seventh in interview and sixth in evening gown, and finished seventh overall.
Walker's first acting role was in Liar's Moon with Matt Dillon
. She came into fame as Lizbeth Bachman on the television serial Capitol
when it premiered in 1982. After a successful four year run, Walker left the series in 1986 to pursue other projects. Walker returned to daytime as Olivia St. John Jerome on the serial General Hospital
from 1988 to 1990. After leaving General Hospital, she played Mayor Alex Olanov Hesser Buchanan Buchanan
on One Life to Live
from 1990 to 1997 and returned for some visits in 2001 and 2002. Walker also had a recurring role as Marie Green on Guiding Light
from 2003 to 2004. She made a brief return to One Life to Live in August 2007 for the show's 9,999th and 10,000th episodes, and her character later returned again on November 2, 2007 for a brief run. She returns again on January 2, 2009. Walker will reprise her role as Alex temp. on March 15, 2011.
Walker is also a singer and has released one album collection of her songs. She has produced an award winning Family Film entitled The Derby Stallion ,starring Zac Efron
, Bill Cobbs
, William R. Moses
and herself that will come out on Video on Demand March 8, 2007. The DVD came out June 2007.
. Walker has two daughters and three stepchildren.
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
pageant, an actress, and a singer. She is known for her role as Alex Olanov
Alex Olanov
Alexandra "Alex" Olanov is a fictional character from the long-running ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
and for her role as Olivia St. John Jerome on General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
.
Career
Walker held the Miss Teen All-American title in 1979 and won the Miss Maryland USAMiss Maryland USA
The Miss Maryland USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Maryland in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by D&D Investments....
title in 1980. That year she represented Maryland in the Miss USA 1980 pageant broadcast live from Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
, and placed in the top twelve. She placed sixth after the preliminary round of competition, and went on to place eighth in the final swimsuit competition, seventh in interview and sixth in evening gown, and finished seventh overall.
Walker's first acting role was in Liar's Moon with Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon
Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
. She came into fame as Lizbeth Bachman on the television serial Capitol
Capitol (TV series)
Capitol is an American soap opera which aired on CBS from March 29, 1982 to March 20, 1987 for 1,270 episodes. As its name suggests, the storyline usually revolved around the political intrigues of people whose lives intertwined in Washington D.C....
when it premiered in 1982. After a successful four year run, Walker left the series in 1986 to pursue other projects. Walker returned to daytime as Olivia St. John Jerome on the serial General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
from 1988 to 1990. After leaving General Hospital, she played Mayor Alex Olanov Hesser Buchanan Buchanan
Alex Olanov
Alexandra "Alex" Olanov is a fictional character from the long-running ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
from 1990 to 1997 and returned for some visits in 2001 and 2002. Walker also had a recurring role as Marie Green on Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
from 2003 to 2004. She made a brief return to One Life to Live in August 2007 for the show's 9,999th and 10,000th episodes, and her character later returned again on November 2, 2007 for a brief run. She returns again on January 2, 2009. Walker will reprise her role as Alex temp. on March 15, 2011.
Walker is also a singer and has released one album collection of her songs. She has produced an award winning Family Film entitled The Derby Stallion ,starring Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
, Bill Cobbs
Bill Cobbs
Wilbert "Bill" Cobbs is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 120 television programs and movies.-Life and career:...
, William R. Moses
William R. Moses
William Remington Moses is an American actor.-Early life:Moses was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of the late actress Marian McCargo and advertising executive Richard Cantrell Moses, Sr. who divorced in 1963. Marian remarried in 1970 to the late former Republican Congressman...
and herself that will come out on Video on Demand March 8, 2007. The DVD came out June 2007.
Personal life
She has been married to Edward J. Davidson since December 20, 1997. She is the sister of Tamara WalkerTamara Walker
Tamara Walker is a female singer-songwriter. Walker began here career in 1999 when she signed with Curb Records. Initially, Walker recorded country music, but her due to the failure of her first singles, her album went unreleased...
. Walker has two daughters and three stepchildren.
Filmography
- (1981): Mr. Merlin as N/A
- (1982–86): Capitol as Lizbeth Bachman
- (1982): Liar's Moon as Karen Covucci
- (1983): Making of a Male Model as Alma Rockwell
- (1985): Hunter as Claire Jorgensen
- (1986): T.J. Hooker as Nancy Bosca
- (1987): Kidnapped as Claudia
- (1987): Spies as Lana
- (1988–90): General HospitalGeneral HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
as Olivia St. John Jerome - (1990 - 00's): One Life to LiveOne Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
as Alex OlanovAlex OlanovAlexandra "Alex" Olanov is a fictional character from the long-running ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
(Role: 1990–97; 2001–02; 2007; 2009; 2011 - pres.) - (1994): Clear Cut (short)
- (2003–04): Guiding LightGuiding LightGuiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
as Marie Green - (2005): The Derby Stallion as Linda McCardle
- (2005): Never Been Thawed as Christian Band Slut (as Tonya Walker)
- (2007): PassionsPassionsPassions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
as Grace Nancier - (2011): Spy as Yvonne Hayworth