Tonya Williams(V)
- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Named one of the 100 Most Influential Black People in Canada for three years in a row, Tonya Williams O.C. is an award-winning actress, producer, arts executive, and activist. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, an inductee of Canada’s Walk of Fame, and the recipient of numerous honours, including the Canadian Screen Awards Changemaker Award, ACTRA’s Award of Excellence, two NAACP Image Awards, and the Black Academy’s Legacy Awards Visionary Award.
Williams began her acting career in 1976 while still in high school. She quickly became a familiar face through modeling, television commercials, and guest appearances on Canadian series including Seeing Things and Polka Dot Door. She went on to star in series such as Welcome to My World and Check It Out, and co-hosted the Miss Teen Canada Pageant for three consecutive years.
In 1988, Williams relocated to Los Angeles, where she guest-starred on major television series including Falcon Crest, Matlock, A Very Brady Christmas, and Generations. She was also a prominent spokesperson in AT&T commercials for three years before landing the role of Dr. Olivia Barber Winters on the daytime drama The Young and the Restless. She portrayed the character for nineteen years, earning many awards and international recognition and becoming one of the most visible Black women in daytime television.
In 2000, during her time on the series, Williams founded the Reelworld Film Festival in response to the lack of racial diversity in Canada’s screen industries. Today, Reelworld operates as the Reelworld Screen Institute, delivering the annual Reelworld Film Festival, the two-day Reelworld Summit, year-round professional development programs, and the hiring platform Access Reelworld. The organization has grown into a respected national platform supporting emerging talent and challenging systemic barriers affecting Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, and People of Colour in Canada’s screen sector.
Born in London, England, Williams holds UK, Canadian, and U.S. citizenship and splits her time between Toronto and Los Angeles. She currently sits on the Industry Advisory Committee for Ontario Creates.
Williams began her acting career in 1976 while still in high school. She quickly became a familiar face through modeling, television commercials, and guest appearances on Canadian series including Seeing Things and Polka Dot Door. She went on to star in series such as Welcome to My World and Check It Out, and co-hosted the Miss Teen Canada Pageant for three consecutive years.
In 1988, Williams relocated to Los Angeles, where she guest-starred on major television series including Falcon Crest, Matlock, A Very Brady Christmas, and Generations. She was also a prominent spokesperson in AT&T commercials for three years before landing the role of Dr. Olivia Barber Winters on the daytime drama The Young and the Restless. She portrayed the character for nineteen years, earning many awards and international recognition and becoming one of the most visible Black women in daytime television.
In 2000, during her time on the series, Williams founded the Reelworld Film Festival in response to the lack of racial diversity in Canada’s screen industries. Today, Reelworld operates as the Reelworld Screen Institute, delivering the annual Reelworld Film Festival, the two-day Reelworld Summit, year-round professional development programs, and the hiring platform Access Reelworld. The organization has grown into a respected national platform supporting emerging talent and challenging systemic barriers affecting Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, and People of Colour in Canada’s screen sector.
Born in London, England, Williams holds UK, Canadian, and U.S. citizenship and splits her time between Toronto and Los Angeles. She currently sits on the Industry Advisory Committee for Ontario Creates.
