Perhaps it was growing up in poverty that gave Tiffany Adams the drive to have a better life. Perhaps it was the experiences of being homeless as a child, and pretending to be someone else as a way to cope, that drew Tiffany Adams into acting. Whatever the case, from a very young age, Tiffany Adams has always found solace in the theater, and has always been very good at it.
Tiffany was born in Toledo, Ohio. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and from that point forward her dad was out of the picture. Tiffany was raised by a loving and hard working single mother whom, due to circumstances beyond her control, had limited opportunities. Poverty was all they knew. Tiffany remembers being homeless as a child, and living in a car with her mother. It was around this time that Tiffany found her escape through the theatre.
As early as elementary school, Tiffany developed a love for the arts. Because she couldn't pay for classes, Tiffany was involved in programs offered though the public school system. She played violin in the orchestra, studied ballet and jazz, took voice lessons, and acted in musical theatre.
Tiffany was also determined to work her way out of poverty. In junior high, she applied for a work permit and got a job at a candy store called the Fudgery. Her theatre background helped her land the position. They were looking for performers who could sing and draw an audience while huge vats of boiling fudge were poured onto cool marble slabs and shaped into loaves for sale.
As a teenager, Tiffany Adams wanted to be part of the Toledo Repertory Theatre. The tuition was out of her reach, so she auditioned and earned several scholarships. She was involved in a number of productions: Peter Pan, A Christmas Carole, A Chorus Line. To this day, Tiffany is convinced that the Toledo Repertory Theatre saved her from a number of bleak possibilities facing a young underprivileged inner-city kid.
By the time Tiffany graduated from high school, she knew she wanted a career in film, and wanted to make movies. She decided to move to New York or L.A. Her mother supported this decision, but encouraged to be practical by first learning a trade. Together, that is to say, mostly at the decision of her mother, they settled on optician as a feasible trade and solid career choice. As a result, Tiffany went to optician school where she learned how to make eyeglasses, grind lenses and dispense contacts. She also continued taking acting classes.
It was around this time, that Tiffany traveled to Texas for a talent competition after hearing that major L.A. casting directors were going to be the judges. She was up against 200-300 women in categories for drama, improv, commercial, sitcom, and special talents. At the end of the competition, one by one, the names were called off for the winners of each category. Tiffany's name was not called. With a broken heart, and tears welling up, Tiffany got up to leave. As she exited the doors of the event, the MC announced that there was one final category: the grand prize winner for ALL the categories across the board. He then called out Tiffany's name, but she was too far out the door to hear it. A show volunteer had to run and catch her to tell her she had won. Her trophy was huge. One of the judges was L.A. Casting Director Ricki Maslar. Ricki told Tiffany that she could get immediate work in L.A. - if she had a SAG card. However, because Tiffany had only performed in local theatre, she wasn't yet a member of SAG. Tiffany, as determination as ever, asked Ricki to give her one year to get her SAG card and move to L.A. Ricki agreed.
When Tiffany returned home with her monster trophy, and told her mother about meeting Ricki Maslar, her mom replied, "You're still going to optician school."
Within the next year, Tiffany finished trade school and drove her old Chevy pickup truck across the country to L.A. Fortunately, it didn't break down until after she crossed the California state line.
Within two months of moving to L.A., casting director Ricki Maslar called Tiffany in for a role in the feature film "The Year That Trembled" with Fred Willard, Martin Mull and Danica McKellar from The Wonder Years. Tiffany booked the role. Ironically, the film shot on location back in her home state of Ohio. She fondly remembers returning as a "working SAG actress" who even had her own trailer.
Shortly after that, Tiffany booked national commercials for Burger King and Huggies, and has been working ever since. Although Tiffany's main work is in TV and film, she is loyal to her roots, and takes theatre roles when she can. One of her first standing ovations came after she delivered a monologue from the Children's Hour. She connected to the role of the person being falsely accused, and how cruel people could be. She remembered the shame in being poor, the despair and humiliation of the family car being repossessed, and understood the pain of that character.
Regardless of what success Tiffany achieves, she still remembers that poor girl who wanted to act like it was yesterday. She is involved in a number of organization that help homeless and poverty stricken children. She also frequently takes time out of her busy schedule to coach and mentor children in the arts.
Today, Tiffany Adams' career continues to reach new heights. She now books starring roles in films with actors such as Danny Trejo and Eric Roberts. She also regularly guest stars in major network primetime shows including CSI: Cyber, Glee, Major Crimes, and many others. Ricki Maslar, the casting director who gave Tiffany her first big break, still calls her in for auditions. In light of her continued and growing success, Tiffany C. Adams is a young actress whose star is rising by leaps and bounds.
