Tammin Pamela Sursok (born 19 August 1983) is an Australian actress and musician. She is best known for the role of Dani Sutherland on Home and Away and as Colleen Carlton on The Young and the Restless.She also launched a singing career (under the name Tammin), with her debut single, "Pointless Relationship", released on November 14, 2004 and debuting in the top 10 of the Australian singles chart the following week. She began portrayed Colleen Carlton on the American soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2007-2009, and was nominated Daytime Emmy nomination during her time on the soap. She recently made her first made-for-television movie, Spectacular!, which premiered on 16 February 2009 on Nickelodeon.
BiographyEarly life:
Tammin Sursok was born to Daryl and Julie Sursok in Johannesburg, South Africa. At the age of 4, she emigrated to Sydney, Australia with her family. Her mother Julie is a classically trained pianist and guitarist and as a result, Sursok was brought up surrounded by music. At a young age, Sursok was involved with the Sydney Youth Musical Theatre, where she pursued her interests in acting, music and dance. She also studied with the Trinity Speech and Drama College and graduated with a High Distinction. Sursok was educated at Ravenswood School for Girls, in Gordon, Sydney, studying speech and drama in her final years of school. She won her part in the long-running Australian drama series, Home and Away, at the end of 1999, after completing Year 10.
She has a sister, Michelle, and an older brother, Shaun.
Career:2000-2004
In 2000, Sursok began her role as Dani Sutherland on Home and Away. In 2001, she was nominated for, and won the Logie Award for Best New Female Talent category. During 2002, Sursok had the honour of being selected as Junior Youth Ambassador for New South Wales, and in 2003 received the Australian Centenary Medal for her "Service to Australian Society and Acting". While Sursok was working on Home and Away, she also began taking steps towards starting a music career, by writing her own songs and practicing the guitar. In 2004, the same year she was nominated for Australian of the Year, Sursok left Home and Away to concentrate fully on her budding musical career.
2004-2005In early 2004, Sursok began recording material for her debut album Whatever Will Be. She worked with producers who have worked with names as Britney Spears, Dido and Christina Aguilera. Sursok's debut single, "Pointless Relationship", became the number one most added single to Australian radio in late October, 2004. It went on to peak at number five on the ARIA charts, also earning Platinum accreditation (70,000+ copies shipped).
Sursok's second single "Whatever Will Be" was the number one most added track to Australian Radio in early March, and debuted and reached thirteenth on the ARIA singles chart, becoming a moderate success. Soon after, Sursok's debut album, Whatever Will Be was released, peaking at thirteenth on the ARIA album chart. The third single from the album, "It's a Beautiful Thing", debuted at #30 in the ARIA singles chart.
In August 2005, Sursok temporarily relocated to the UK and made preparations for "Pointless Relationship", to be released as her international debut. However, the release was cancelled due to the lack of support the song.
2006-presentIn early 2006 Sursok officially moved into an apartment in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, where she began concentrating on her acting career. She filmed a brief guest role on CBS' Rules of Engagement, spent a month in Missouri filming a lead role in the independent film Albino Farm, and has completed a supporting role in the movie Crossing Over, which stars Harrison Ford. Sursok has also taken on the role of Colleen Carlton on the long running US soap The Young and the Restless. In 2009, she departed from the series.
Apart from her role as Colleen on The Young and the Restless, Sursok appeared in the hit Nickelodeon musical Spectacular!.
Tammin made her musical comeback recording songs for the Nickelodeon musical, made-for-television movie Spectacular!' released via Nick Records. She appeared on the tracks "Dance With Me", "For The First Time", "Something to Believe In" and "Eye of The Tiger". The album was released on February 3 2009 and had moderate success, charting at 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Sursok was nominated for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series at the 35th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008 for her performance as Colleen in The Young and the Restless.
She is set to release her second studio album sometime in 2010 and says her new direction in music will surprise her fans.
Personal life:Sursok has a pet parrot, a cat named Sugar, and three dogs, Smudge, Harry, and Charlie. Sursok is signed with the Gersh Agency in Los Angeles since her move to Los Angeles in 2006 to pursue an acting career. She dated her on-screen boyfriend Home and Away star Danny Raco. She is close friends with Bec Hewitt who was her on-screen best friend, Hayley, during their stints on Home and Away.
