Biography
Karen Tarleton's career spans film, television, theater, voice-over, and singing across the U.S. and Great Britain.
Born and raised in the Allegheny Mountains of northwestern Pennsylvania within a large musical and artistic family, Karen moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. She spent several years working as a production assistant and script supervisor on game shows, TV specials, and variety programs in L.A., Nashville, and Las Vegas. After gaining extensive experience behind the camera, she transitioned to acting, securing a recurring role on General Hospital in 1980, followed by a recurring role on The Young and the Restless, leading to a full career in television, film, and theater. A long-time member of the West Coast Ensemble theater group, Karen has performed in numerous regional and Southern California venues in both classical and contemporary productions. She later relocated to England, joined British Equity, and worked for three years across England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Upon returning to the U.S., she continued steady work as a versatile actress in film, TV, theater, commercials, voice-overs, and singing, both secular and liturgical.
In addition to her performance career, Karen is an educator, having taught Theater Arts at Loyola Marymount University and at Jeff Alan Lee's Young Actors Studio for many years.
She has been a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association since 1980 and has belonged to the Los Angeles Classical Theatre Lab and the Writers and Actors Lab for over three decades.
