Biography
Born Toni Lynn French in Spokane, Washington, to Dorothy "Joyce" Finch and Phillip Norman French. Toni's mother grew up on a cattle ranch in Wyoming, raised a grand champion steer at State Fair, and graduated as Valedictorian of her High School Class. She then received a full scholarship to the University of Wyoming, but chose to give it up and put herself through college and Nurses Training in Washington State. Her father graduated from high school early with honors and joined the Air Force. It was not until he was in his 40s that he learned he had been awarded an appointment to West Point. Her parents met while both were training to become missionaries at the Navigator Headquarters in Colorado Springs. Toni's mother is of English and Welsh ancestry, and her father is of Scottish, Irish, Dutch, German, Choctaw Indian and Israeli descent. In fact, Toni's mother's ancestor may be descended from or related to Anne Parr, one of King Henry VIII wives. One of her paternal great grandmother was full-blood Choctaw (part of the Five Civilized Tribes). The country did not recognize Indians as people, Toni hopes to confirm her tribal roots in time. Toni is honored to continue the Choctaw bloodline. After moving to L.A., Toni learned that another great grandmother was full-blood Israeli.
Just after Toni's first birthday, her brother Todd was born in Seattle. A short time later, the family moved cross country to Indianapolis, Indiana, where her sister Traci was born and her father worked as a top draftsman for Mr. Best of Best Lock. In fact, one of his last assignments was to design the "unpick-able lock." At age four, Toni's parents moved to her grandfather's cattle ranch in Encampment, Wyoming. Her father cared for 1800 head of cattle and performed the role of mechanical wizard since he could fix everything and build absolutely anything. Her mother chose not to work outside the home while the three siblings were growing up, but instead tirelessly taught each one to read before they went to school and a host of other life skills. They gardened, made jelly, dried jerky, and canned goods from the garden. Toni's mother also shared myriad tips from her nursing days. The three siblings spent almost 8 years enjoying their rural upbringing in Wyoming. Life on the ranch was full and interesting, and Toni would not have traded the experience for anything in the world.
Her artistic talents began surfacing in infancy. Her parents remember that Toni had a voracious appetite for learning, and wanted to know what everything was called. At 6 months, her mother was amazed at the size of her vocabulary. She was sure that her daughter had been gifted with a photographic mind because Toni would immediately master something after seeing it performed or hearing it spoken only once. Before her first birthday, her mother submitted a baby photo for consideration in the Gerber Baby campaign. Had the family pursued it, their lives might have gone a very different direction. Instead, life remained rather simple and Toni expressed herself in a variety of other ways. At age 3, she was discovered drawing on her bedroom walls instead of napping. She loved to color and spent hours and hours at that task. With a vivid imagination, she began directing her siblings to act out scenes with their Barbies and dolls. In first or second grade, Toni's mom encouraged her to enter a poster campaign contest. She won for both slogan and artwork, and consistently made top grades throughout school. Because she excelled in class and was often ahead, her teachers gave her special projects almost daily. In fact, while still in grade school Toni remembers helping a young man to learn to read. She knew that he had been held back several times and was committed to his success. As a result of their work together, he remained in her class and continued to progress through school.
Toni's earliest dramatic stage debut included a stunt, throwing herself prostrate with a desperate cry while delivering her lines as either Pocahontas or Sacajawea. She won top ribbons for her 4-H baking and sewing projects and formally modeled her skirt and blouse project on stage at State Fair. Toni's musical talents started with piano at age 6 and flute at age 9. Her father's side of the family were all very musically inclined, and one of her uncles is John French aka "Drumbo," a famous drummer and musical arranger for an eclectic 60's band called Captain Beefheart. Not only was she proud of his musical fame, but she was also sure that his long-haired Hippy hairstyle would shock her friends... and that thought both delighted and amused her.
Toni became an avid reader and loved both romance and detective novels. When she discovered Agatha Christie novels, Toni imagined becoming an archaeologist, so she began going on expeditions to hunt for bones all over the ranch. She created her own museum in a hollowed-out bush and carpeted it with lichen. She would enroll her siblings to go on missions to uncover new treasures.
At age 9, Toni's maternal grandfather, Henry Finch, offered her a job to drive a tractor (a "sweep") to scoop up the scattered hay and deliver it to the haystacks. Although the powerful tractor was a bit overwhelming for her small frame, Toni believes that is where her love for the stick shift was born. After that, she began learning to drive her family's car on their ranch roads. At age 11, she was legally driving by herself on the county roads (with a parent in the car).
At age 12, her family moved to Maryland to take over a Book Ministry for an elderly man with whom her father had corresponded for many years. Her parents kept them out of school for a month while looking for a place to live. When they finally re-enrolled, each of them had to play catch-up in school. The new class sizes were larger than the whole town had been; thus, the experience presented a daunting new challenge to the "A" Student who expected nothing less than the best from her own performance.
Although it was easy for her to make friends, Toni never enjoyed cliques and was secretly nervous about chair auditioning for the role of first chair flute in the band. Thinking it would allow her to 'hide,' she opted to learn the oboe. However, her band director invited her to became part of his acclaimed Montgomery County Masterworks Orchestra, where (to her dismay) she had to perform solos. In school, she performed with the band in the pit orchestra for the school plays. In High School, Toni also learned the guitar. Academically, she continued to do well and was on the Honor Roll. She was not used to being in the spotlight; however, her leadership talents and artistic skills were noticed. A guidance counselor invited her to create a piece of artwork that was display in a Martin Luther King exhibit in Washington, D.C. Soon after, her Vice Principal commissioned a piece and became her first patron. Her Home Economics teacher appointed her to be the Co-ed Correspondent, and she also received Student of the Month award from the Jaycees. She graduated high school at the top of her class.
Toni had many interests, contemplated design school, and then opted to apply to a small private college in Virginia because it reminded her of the student/teacher ratio in rural Wyoming. She received an academic scholarship and was given one year to accept the honor. However, Toni decided to take the year to work and consider her options. She had always wanted to travel, so she also considered flight attendant school in Florida. And like her father, Toni also received a letter offering an appointment to West Point. Although undaunted by living a disciplined military life, in hindsight it amuses her to remember that it was her artistic soul that finally made the decision: she was unimpressed by the color palette for each respective branch of military service.
Toni accepted the scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia. Without first visiting, she showed up to campus on Registration Day completely sure that it would be an amazing adventure. During the first weeks of school, she made a decision to try everything that she had always wanted to do. She auditioned for Shakespeare's "The Tempest," and was cast as the lead female role of Miranda. During the next semester, she was asked to take the lead role of Ruth in Noel Coward's, "Blithe Spirit." However, during January Term (a Theater Arts trip to London) Toni read the play and was intrigued by Elvira's more wicked-sounding character. It was a role that would allow her to step outside her own persona, so Toni returned to school and asked the new director if she could take that role instead. To her delight, he agreed. She made her own costume, and also did her own hair and makeup to create a ghostly visage for the show. The following semester, the director asked her to perform a character role and she transformed into Madame Olga the Bearded Lady in a Spanish play called "Three Top Hats." A non-smoker, Toni's character flaunted a long cigarette holder, smoking an unfiltered Marlboro in her first scene. Toni was invited to play an Ingenue in a One Act Play to assist a college chum for a senior project.
While in college, Toni was inducted into two honor societies, made Dean's List, honored to participate in Homecoming Court and nominated for Homecoming Queen, and took on several leadership roles. She acted as a Freshman Peer Advisor for a Psychology Professor, was Vice President of Circle K Club, hosted a Senior Dinner to honor the beloved French Professor Madame Sullivan, designed and edited the Sandpiper Yearbook and also compiled, edited, and published "The Outlet" poetry magazine. During her senior year, she was nominated for a Rotary Scholarship by the English Department and she unofficially modeled both in and out of college. Later, she was scouted for both modeling shoots and promotional modeling campaigns.
In May 2000, Toni visited a photographer friend in L.A. By chance, she was on a Fiasco Films movie set where she was invited to participate in a short film called "Mission Imp," starring Verne Troyer. They filmed it in George Hamilton's Cigar Bar in Pasadena, and Toni remembers the experience as one of the most enjoyable days of her life. Everyone she met that week commented that she would end up in L.A., and a seed was planted.
Looking back, Toni realizes that life has always been a long series of acting exercises, giving her the opportunity to explore myriad character studies as she navigates life's scenarios. Over the years, many have commented that her life seems to be one like movie plot after another. In college a friend told her that her life was better than any soap opera. She laughs, because it was true and has at least two books in he making (and perhaps a movie script or two).
Committed to living an authentic life aligned with her talents, Toni left everything and everyone she knew in 2002 and moved to South Florida. In 2012, after a series of events, she made a conscious decision to downsize and gave most of her possessions to charity. And in the Fall of 2014, she made another decision to explore her artistic soul on the West Coast. To date, she has performed in film, television, commercials, print ads, infomercials, and web series. She has been featured numerous times, acted as a stand-in, and also modeled for still photos on a number of productions. She started with one SAG voucher and one Taft Hartley, and after gaining six vouchers joined the Screen Actors Guild in late August 2015.
Toni is a "Yes" to the Universe, and gives thanks for each new door that opens. She looks for the treasure in every circumstance, even when it may not look like 'gold.' Inspired by love and beauty, her intention is to inspire it on every set. She affirms "There is plenty of work for everyone," and looks forward to sharing her time and talents with the world. She affirms favor and blessing, committed to bringing her highest and best to every set.
After arriving in L.A., her former junior high and high school English teacher Craig Weincek touched base and empowered Toni to help him get his "Islands on the Edge" script made into a movie. After a 25-year Film Critic career, he wrote the script about an event in the local region where he lives. The man who was to help produce it passed away, so it has been sitting in hiatus, so Toni is honored to help resurrect and co-produce the project. Craig believes it can be made for less than $1 Million, so Toni is actively open to Producer/Director team to fund this and move things forward. Intending to be involved in all aspects of production, Toni gives thanks for both right and left-brain gifts. She continues to observe each person on set, and looks forward to co-creating a team who shall not only ignite a flame from the ashes, but manifest international acclaim. She knows that this project is drawing the highest and best, and looks forward to collaborating with like minds upon a foundation of integrity.
Toni smiles, realizing that her three top archetypes (the alchemist, artist, and romantic) are co-creating magic and miracles every day.
