Tonya KayLos Angeles, CA
Actress, Model, Performer and Internet Personality
This Magickal Child from Michigan farmlands is an award-winning actress, award-winning writer, danger artist, world-traveling conservationist, raw vegan fitspo and living proof of what a child raised in love grows up to be.
Known for the moxie, physicality and depth of characters she creates, she just wrapped series lead, DEV, the one-eyed contract killer in The Kill Corporation and stars as THE ARTIST in The Art of Murder Horror Haiku series. Tonya Kay was voted BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (2011 Los Angeles Movie Awards) for her portrayal of series regular KIELLE in Silver Lake and stars as PRINCESS PEACH in Video Game Reunion, voted BEST COMEDY ENSEMBLE (2012 Indie Intertube Awards) also honored as Atom.com’s most watched series of all time. In 2013 Tonya Kay won the HOTT HOTTNESS AWARD (BMORB) for her acting/fighting work in Creep Van. On television, you’ve recognized her performing sketch comedy with Neil Patrick Harris on the 38th Annual People’s Choice Awards, NBC’s The Voice, Speed TV’s My Ride Rules, Glee, Criminal Minds and The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien.
Nothing makes Tonya Kay happier than when her ideals and art combine. It has been this long term raw vegan’s distinct pleasure to work with fellow vegan celebrities Ellen Degeneres, Russell Brand, Rob Zombie, Nathan Barnatt, Emily Deschanel and director Gene Blalock. Tonya Kay plays the comedic relief, I ROCK, in the first fictional film about the Animal Liberation Front, Bold Native, is the voice of Green Girl in the animated raw vegan superhero films, Rawman and Green Girl and plays lead role DARCY in vegan activist feature film, The Pamphleteer. Look for her playing lead roles in Silverwood Recordings, Garden of Eden, Death Factory, Dark Space and Within The Darkness films, dancing in The Muppets Movie and Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendent, performing specialty in Lone Ranger or acting and performing stunts in Nightmare Code, Fight To The Finish and Raze (opposite Zoe Bell, premiered at TriBeCa 2013).
As a stage performer, Tonya Kay has toured for 3 years in STOMP, flown in the aerial phenom De La Guarda, toured with Panic At The Disco and Kenny Rogers, danced in New York and LA concert tap dance companies and is a Second City Hollywood trained improv comedian, starring in Lip Dub Divorce Proposal which was featured on The Today Show and went viral. She is known as “The Most Dangerous Woman in Hollywood” hosting and performing burlesque in Hollywood’s most notorious hot spots as host, soloist and company member of Lalas Burlesque, appearing regularly with Gypsy Rose Burlesque, Tease If You Please and at TRiPTease or special guest star for hire. But there is more to Tonya Kay than her multi-faceted performance career.
Tonya Kay graduated Valedictorian of her high school class, but chose not to continue with traditional education. She owns two green film/tv businesses, Happy Mandible, Inc and Solid Hollywood, LLC, and believes that creating the world you wish to live in starts with the individual, but does not stop there. Therefore she is a philanthropist, generously donating to NORML, The Serengeti Foundation, The Tree People, The Witch’s Voice, Survival International, Animal Defenders International, Performing Animal Welfare Society, Sea Turtles Restoration Project, Center for Biological Diversity and reforestation projects via CarbonFund. She has traveled 18 countries to volunteer her physical body to the preservation and protection of endangered species including the Asian elephant at Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park and sea turtles with Costa Rica’s PRETOMA. And she writes about it all. Tonya Kay is an award-winning writer, her Clean and Green Everyday column in EcoHearth Magazine voted one of 50 Best Ecology Blogs by Forensic Science Technician, now also writing the Film/Stage column on staff at Pyragraph Magazine.
When she is not road tripping this blessed continent in her vegetable-oil-fuelled Jetta or rebuilding her 1965 Buick Riviera classic hot rod Tonya Kay is seeking out organic farmer’s markets, sustainable vineyards and life-changing art. It is this renegade’s passion to shape reality, push evolution, exist in love and take the whole wide world along for the ride.
The Most Dangerous Woman In Hollywood.
Areas of Expertise: Cleansing, Mood Stabilization, Nutrition, Raw Food, Toning, Weight Loss
Services: No vegan health and fitness services available.
Credentials: Professional Athlete
Availability: No vegan health and fitness services available.
At this point in my life, I have been vegetarian for 31 years, vegan for 21 of those and raw vegan for the past 11. I transitioned each shift for a different reason. Specifically, though, I went VEGAN when I was on tour with Kenny Rogers. I was a bit of an insomniac back then and was the only one awake on our tour bus when the driver pulled off to a truck stop for refueling. I was hungry and stretched my legs while wandering inside to look for food. However when I got in there, all I could find was neon colored packages and cartoon character marketing on products that I was supposed to consider food. Suddenly, I wasn't fooled. I was outraged! Perhaps I was just tired enough and just loopy enough, but in that moment I went vegan out of the pure renegade desire for real food.
Regarding going RAW vegan, which people sometimes perceive as more difficult than cooked vegan, I have to say this: eating cooked, animal-based or junk foods is like hitting yourself on the thumb with a hammer. Once you find out what's causing the pain, it's pretty easy to not hit yourself with the hammer again. Eating raw vegan is easy because the rewards are so tangible.
Compassion for animals is definitely a driving force for me. I have a number of memories about animals that made an impression on me growing up. I grew up in a farm town in Southern Michigan with lots of country roads winding around lots of lakes and swamps. Invariably, the lake turtles would try to cross those country roads to the other pond, and if a car roared by, they'd just pull into their shells and hide there as if they were protected. My mom and dad would pull over to the side of the road, stop the car and pick up any living turtle (snappers included) and place them on the other side. What a great feeling. I still save turtles if I see one in the road and even travel protecting endangered species in Costa Rica, South Africa and Thailand. I am still saving turtles.
I produce media, I am a conscious business owner, I donate to organizations and I've been known to rally and speak at city hall when moved. I always try to keep it positive, not only because I find people naturally gravitate towards what's working but also because I insist on my lifestyle being easy going/no problem, so keeping it positive is just as much for the public as it is for me.
Given the opportunity to talk to someone considering going vegan I would tell them - If you want average results, do what average people do. If you want extraordinary results ...