Tanya Wright

Tanya Patrice Wright is an American entrepreneur, actress and author.

Born and raised in South Bronx, New York, she studied Comparative Literature at Vassar College.

After her graduation, she joined the cast of The Cosby Show as Tanya Simpson.

She is known for her role as Phyllis Brooks on Buddies, as well as her recurring roles on 24 as Patty Brooks, NYPD Blue as Officer Maya Anderson, on True Blood as Deputy Kenya Jones, and as Crystal on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black.

Wright was born in the spring of 1971 in the Bronx to a 15 year old mother, Debra Fraser-Howze, who later became an AIDS activist.

Her sister, Sheena Wright, is a nonprofit executive and a deputy mayor in New York City.

Wright is an alumna of the Oliver Scholars Program and graduated high school from George School, a private Quaker school in Pennsylvania.

She received a degree in Independent Studies/Comparative Literature at Vassar College.

She studied at Harvard University.

Over the course of her career, Wright made the decision to start wearing her hair naturally.

Wright wrote a book entitled Butterfly Rising, which was released on August 5, 2012.

Wright adapted the book to a screenplay, producing and directing a movie version of Butterfly Rising

Wright started a hair care line called HAIRiette in which some the proceeds go to The Actor's Fund.

She starred in the play The Little Birch Tree in elementary school which started her acting career.

While attending Vassar, she audition and landed a role in The Cosby Show.