Tamara Braun (born April 18, 1971) is an American actress, best known for her work in daytime television, including her role as Ava Vitali in Days of Our Lives, as well as her earlier role as Carly Corinthos on General Hospital. She is also known for her role on All My Children as Reese Williams.

Biography

Braun was born in Evanston, Illinois and attended Evanston Township High School. She was a psychology major at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and took a summer course in Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England before backpacking throughout Europe.


Career
Braun is well known for her win at the 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards, receiving the accolade of Outstanding Supporting Actress for the role of Ava Vitali on Days of our Lives. She is also well known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Carly Corinthos on the ABC soap opera General Hospital, a role she played from 2001 to 2005. As Carly, Braun was featured very prominently as a romantic partner of characters Sonny Corinthos, portrayed by Daytime Emmy winner Maurice Benard, and Lorenzo Alcazar, portrayed by Ted King.

After leaving General Hospital, Braun played the female lead in the independent movie Little Chenier, which was filmed in Louisiana in August 2005. Braun worked with a dialect coach to perfect a Cajun accent, and she altered her appearance by getting a bronzed tan and darkening her hair. Tamara appeared as pastry chef Rose on four episodes of the ABC sitcom Freddie as a romantic interest of both lead male characters. Tamara has also starred in the independent film Limbo Lounge, directed by Tom Pankratz. In 2006 and 2007 respectively, Braun appeared on the CBS hit shows Cold Case and Ghost Whisperer; in the former she portrayed a country singer who helped cover up the murder of a fellow singer in order to protect her career. Additionally, she appeared in the 2007 season premiere of Without a Trace.

In 2008, Braun joined the cast of the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives in the Emmy-winning role of Ava Vitali, a woman from long-time veteran Stephen Nichols' character Steve Johnson's past. She left the soap in August 2008, but would go on to win a Daytime Emmy award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal in the Ava Vitali role.

Later that year she joined the cast of All My Children as Reese Williams, her second soap since leaving General Hospital in April 2005.

In July 2009, she landed the recurring role of Renee Ellen on the TNT show Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter.

On February 15, 2011, Soap Opera Digest announced Braun would return to Days of our Lives and take over the role of Taylor Walker from her former General Hospital co-star, Natalia Livingston. Episodes featuring Braun began airing in Canada on Monday, April 25, 2011 and in the United States on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. On June 7, 2011, Braun was let go from Days and her last episode aired on September 22, 2011.

In July 2015, it was announced that Braun was reprising the role of Ava Vitali, as part of Days of our Lives fiftieth anniversary celebrations.