Tammy Lynn Michaels (née Doring), also known by the surname Etheridge from her relationship with

Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her Melissa Etheridge (album), eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the Billbo ...

, is an American actress. Michaels portrayed mean girl Nicole Julian on The WB's '' Popular''.

Career

Michaels developed a passion for acting in junior high school, and after graduating, moved to New York City to pursue it. She attended the

American Musical and Dramatic Academy The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) is a private conservatory for the performing arts in New York City and Los Angeles, California. The conservatory offers master's degrees, bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certificates ...

in New York and completed three semesters but withdrew from the school before graduation. While working as a bartender at a restaurant, she was discovered by Alayne Skylar, a talent scout. After moving to Los Angeles, Michaels landed the role of Nicole Julian on '' Popular''. In 2002, Michaels had a recurring role on the Fox show ''

That '80s Show ''That '80s Show'' is an American television sitcom set in 1984 that aired from January 23 to May 29, 2002 on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. Created in the wake of the successful sitcom ''That '70s Show,'' it shared a similar name and even many ...

'' playing Roger’s equally materialistic girlfriend followed by a guest appearance in 2004 on the Showtime drama ''

The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama series that aired on Showtime in the United States from 2004 to 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated wit ...

''. In 2005, she played the character Tess on the NBC series '' Committed''. In 2003, Michaels played the role of Max in the short-film '' D.E.B.S.''. The film received several awards and later was expanded to a feature-length film of the same name and released in 2004. However, most of the actresses in the original ''D.E.B.S.'' were replaced for the expanded version, including Michaels.

Personal life

Michaels is openly a lesbian. She started dating singer

in 2001. The couple had a commitment ceremony in September 2003 and they became registered domestic partners in 2005. In April 2006, the couple announced that Michaels was pregnant with twins. Michaels gave birth to a daughter and a son in October 2006. On April 15, 2010, Michaels and Etheridge confirmed that they had ended their nearly nine-year relationship. In May 2012 it was announced that their two-year child support battle had been settled. Since 2005, Michaels has kept a blog, in which she discusses politics, current events and her personal life.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Hollywood Farm Girl
(Michaels' blog) {{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Tammy Lynn American film actresses American television actresses American bloggers American lesbian actresses LGBTQ people from Indiana Living people Actresses from Indiana American women bloggers 21st-century American actresses Year of birth missing (living people)