Tamera Kissen is quickly becoming a name for fans to look out for after her appearance in Netflix's Beauty in Black.
Developed by Tyler Perry, Beauty in Black sees a stripper's life overturned when she comes into contact with a dysfunctional family behind a cosmetics legacy, uncovering a trafficking scheme in the process.
Included in that cast is 30-year-old Tamera "Tee" Kissen, playing the role of Body.
Meet Tamera Kissen - Biography Details
Tamera Kissen Started out as a Model
Before moving into the world of acting, Kissen began her career as a model, eventually moving to social media and comedy as well.
Speaking with The Hype Magazine, Kissen reflected on her start as a model, joking that she's "always been goofy" even in her profession:
"I started off modeling, but I’ve always been goofy. I was a model first and then came comedy."
Eventually, she built up a following of about 1 million followers on Instagram within six months. Not using one specific strategy, she "paid attention to what people liked" and went off of those trends, hoping to use her personality to win people over:
"I got to 1 million [followers] in 6 months. I didn’t have a specific strategy, I just paid attention to what people liked, what they didn’t like and tried to post every day. I just let 'Tee' take control. Tamera would pop in, here and there, to try and add some structure to the madness."
Asked about how hard it is to juggle her wild life as a comedian, model, and actor, Kissen joked that it was "hard being [her]" while saying it was "super fun." She tries to "take it slow" when she can while leaning on her friends to help her "stay organized and sane:"
"Thank you! Well yes, it is hard being me lol. It’s super fun because I’m always coming up with new ideas but sometimes it can be a lot to juggle. I just try to take it slow sometimes but it’s good, I have friends around to help me stay organized and sane!"
Before Beauty in Black, Tamera Previously Starred on Baddies East
Before her appearance in Beauty in Black, Tamera Kissen was part of the cast of Baddies East, letting her personality shine in Season 4. The show features a cast of young women living together while hosting a series of promotional events, which often leads to verbal and physical altercations.
Kissen later returned for the reunion show for Baddies East, although the interactions got quite heated quickly as she reconvened with her fellow cast members.
Beauty in Black sees Kissen play the role of Body, a stripper who works at the same club as the show's leading character, Taylor Polidore Williams' Kimmie. Her role is an important one through the first eight episodes as fans see her fighting for her life before the mid-season break.
Her last role prior to this show was in the 2023 reboot of White Men Can't Jump, playing the supporting role of Shiela. 2023 also saw her enjoy a supporting role in House Party, which featured NBA superstar LeBron James (see more on the time LeBron James quoted Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man here).
Tamera Used to Make Music on YouTube
Before and during her time on Baddies, Kissen used to write and record her own music on her YouTube channel.
Some of her material includes interviews and podcasts, speaking with stars like Brittany Renner, who was recently in the spotlight courtesy of her relationship with NBA star PJ Washington. Other videos show outfit try-on hauls and pranks she played on other people.
She also has dozens of songs available to listen to on her channel, including music videos fans can watch.
The channel boasts over 280 videos, and Kissen has over half a million followers.
Tamera Will Next Star in Fanged
As revealed by Deadline in April 2023, Kissen was cast for a role in George Watson and Kapers Williams' upcoming movie, Fanged.
The film will follow a group of young vampires celebrating something known as "Blood Day" for one of their own before being trapped by an invisible barrier. They are forced to ration the blood they still have between the group, leading them to unleash the monsters inside of them.
Kissen will join Selena Anduze, Tyler Abron, Pauline Brown, Mataya Sweeting, Ravyn Rochelle, Ashley Nocera, and Kylie Jordan in the cast, although her role is not yet known.
While filming is complete for this movie, it does not yet have a release date.
How to Follow Tamera Kissen Online
Those looking to follow Tamera Kissen online can do so through her Instagram (@himynamesteee), TikTok (@himynamesteeee), X (@himynamestee), and YouTube (@Himynamestee).
Beauty in Black is now streaming on Netflix.
