By GARY DEMUTH

Salina Journal

After nearly 30 years as a professional actor, Salina native Tyrees Allen finally has his dream job -- a supporting role in a new television series.

For an actor, it's the closest thing to job security, he said.

"My focus has been on having a TV career, and a series is the only steady job in show business," said Allen, 53, a 1972 graduate of Salina Central High School and 1976 graduate of the former Marymount College in Salina.

Allen co-stars in "Women's Murder Club," a one-hour drama that premieres at 8 p.m. today on ABC (Salina cable channels 9 and 10).

The series is based on author James Patterson's bestselling series of novels about four successful career women living in San Francisco who help each other solve murder cases.

Patterson also is executive producer of the series.

Angie Harmon, formerly of "Law and Order," stars as a homicide inspector who relies on the expertise of her friends -- a medical examiner, an assistant district attorney and a newspaper crime reporter -- to solve crimes.

Allen plays Harmon's partner, homicide detective Warren Jacobi.

"She's much younger, so it's kind of a big brother, big sister relationship," Allen said.

Allen, who is black, said the role of Jacobi originally was written for a crusty, overweight middle-aged white guy.

"I guess I was able to give them something they liked," he said. "I got them to change their minds."

Rising stock

Allen's stock as an actor has steadily risen the past several years. He spent two years on Broadway in the cast of Elton John's hit musical, "Aida." In Los Angeles, he attracted attention by playing former Secretary of State Colin Powell in "Stuff Happens," a play by noted British playwright David Hare about the months leading up to the war in Iraq.

The play ran in June 2005 at Los Angeles's Mark Taper Forum.

"Playing Colin Powell changed my life," Allen said. "Iraq was a very hot topic, and anybody who was anybody in Hollywood saw it."

Since the play closed, Allen said, he's never stopped working as an actor. He made guest appearances on such television series as "Close to Home" and "The Practice," and played a recurring role as a villain in Jennifer Garner's spy series "Alias."

Now comes "Women's Murder Club," which Allen hopes will be a big hit.

"All the advance word says we're going to do well," he said. "The network has ordered 12 episodes and will probably order nine more."

That's good news to Salinan Sharon Page, a Salina Central classmate who has followed Allen's career closely for the past 30 years.

"I'm really looking forward to sitting down on Friday nights and watching the show," she said. "Having Tyrees in it makes it even more exciting."

Many lean years

Allen is no overnight success. He admitted he spent many lean years trying to make it as a professional actor.

He credits his former professor at Marymount, Dennis Denning, and Charles Kephart, the founding director of Salina Community Theatre, with providing him with good training and a solid work ethic.

"My early training in theater taught me that you do this for the love of it," Allen said.

Kephart, who retired from Salina Community Theatre in 1995, said that while Allen had to deal with a lot of rejection in his career, Allen also knew he had a support base back home who wanted him to succeed.

"When he was here, he was always around people who loved the theater and who encouraged and accepted him," Kephart said. "I think that helped give him confidence."

Whenever he contemplated giving up, Allen said, he would think of the people back home who were pulling for him.

"For that, I'm so grateful to Salina," he said.

nReporter Gary Demuth can be reached at 822-1405 or by e-mail at gdemuth@salina.com.

Join the Discussion:

Salina.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here. Read our full online terms of service policy.

Post a comment
Your best chance of getting your comment posted:

• No profanity
• Be civil
• Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

Comment:

Poster:

Enter text seen above:

Read our full use policy.