Taylor Roberts Biography
Taylor Roberts is an actress, author, and fashion model. She is perhaps most recognized for her role as Camilla Barnes in Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Proving her versatility she went against her young ingénue demeanor to play the surprise murderer opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, Margaret Colin, and Brent Spiner. Formerly an accomplished ballet dancer, Taylor Roberts came of age in the highly disciplined dance field, performing with such companies as the Royal Ballet of London and training at the prestigious Kirov Academy of Ballet.
She is a classically trained actress having received her degree from the UNCSA Theatre Conservatory. On stage she has tackled such roles as Rosalind in Shakespeare's As You Like It, Emily in Our Town, Nastya in Gorky's The Lower Depths, and Abigail Adams in 1776. A North Carolina girl at heart, Taylor was named for her Mother's side of the family. The Taylors were original settlers of Carolina and Virginia, and Taylor's grandfather was a cousin of the late actress, Dame Elizabeth Taylor.
Amid her theater training Taylor began working on the feature film, Mona Lisa Smile as a principal cast member, learning the ropes alongside Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles, Marcia Gaye Harden, Kirsten Dunst, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, under the direction of Mike Newell. Soon after, Taylor was personally invited to participate in a series of staged readings organized by Al Pacino and Patrice Chéreau.
Over the span of two years Taylor contributed her talents to Betsy and Napoleon, playing the title role of Betsy to Pacino's Napoleon. She considers these readings a highlight of her young career, working alongside Mr. Pacino, F. Murray Abraham, Scarlett Johansson, Carol Kane, Sam Rockwell, Eric Stoltz, and Bebe Neuwirth, and produced by Colleen Camp.
Taylor so impressed Pacino that he personally invited her back for several readings over the years, even asking her to help him rehearse for the Merchant of Venice, reading Portia to his Shylock. During the success of these readings the buzz started to grow. Roberts shocked many in Los Angeles when she won the part of Emily, a mentally challenged savant, after Meredith Tucker insisted on a special audition taping in New York.
The role in Melissa Painter's Admissions was a part that involved much research with the mentally challenged community. Taylor exceeded expectations giving a performance that has been reviewed as "delicate" and "spot-on." Her costars included Amy Madigan, Lauren Ambrose, Christopher Lloyd, and John Savage. Alongside her acting career Taylor's fashion and commercial work has paired her with various designers and companies including ESPRIT, La Senza Swimwear, Swedish TV1, Verizon, Stylehouse, Mondo Guerra, and more.
She can be seen on the cover of the premiere issue of Relish Magazine and in the upcoming Mon Amie Bridal Magazine. In 2012 Taylor published her first book of poetry, Bombshell Bohemia. In 24 hours the book rose to Amazon's Top 100 list for Poetry Best-Sellers. She has since been invited to join Amber Tamblyn and others in live performances for the Lightbulbmouth Radio Hour in Long Beach.