Tonya Williams, O.C., born in London, England, on July 12, 1958, to Jamaican parents, emigrated to Canada at age 12. A natural performer from an early age, she began ballet at 3, piano at 5, and quickly became a standout in pageants and competitions—winning Miss Junior Personality in 1973, Miss Fiesta, the Boogie dance contest, and the Miss Black Ontario title by 1977. Her on-screen career began in 1976 with a series of national commercials, including the iconic Wear a Moustache Milk campaign, which propelled her into the spotlight and led to her acceptance into the Ryerson Drama Program.

By 1985, Tonya was one of the stars of the CTV sitcom Check It Out, and by 1990, she had moved to Hollywood, earning international acclaim for her 19-year portrayal of Dr. Olivia Winters on The Young and the Restless. Over her 50-year career, she has also been featured in beloved Canadian programs like Polka Dot Door and has become one of Canada’s most celebrated performers and advocates.

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Tonya is an award-winning actress, producer, and changemaker. Recently appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada and inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, she has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians for three consecutive years. Her accolades include the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards Changemaker Award, two NAACP Image Awards, two Daytime Emmy nominations, the 2023 Legacy Awards Visionary Award, an ACTRA Award of Excellence, a WIFT-T Crystal Award, a Harry Jerome Award, and more.

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A trailblazer for equity in the screen industry, Tonya has long used her platform to challenge negative racial stereotypes and advocate for long-overdue EDIA reforms. In 2000, she founded the Reelworld Film Festival, now the Reelworld Screen Institute and Reelworld Foundation, to address the lack of opportunities, access, and inclusion for Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, and other racialized creatives in Canada. In 2020, she launched Access Reelworld, now the country’s largest searchable recruitment platform for racialized talent in the screen industries.

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Tonya has been instrumental in advocating for policy changes through ongoing discussions with Heritage Canada, Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, Ontario Creates, the Canada Council for the Arts, and other industry leaders—helping them better understand and address the needs of diverse creators. She has also served on numerous boards and advisory groups, including the Canadian Artists Network, the Black Screen Office (as co-founder and early board member), Telefilm’s Diversity & Inclusion Group and Authentic Storytelling sub-committee, the CMF Racialized Advisory Group, the Ontario Creates Advisory Industry Committee, the Canadian Creative Industries Coalition, and the Canadian Racial Screen Leaders Collective.

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“We have a responsibility to create a more inclusive screen industry so that all Canadians can see themselves reflected in the stories we tell,” Tonya often says—a belief that has guided her lifelong work both in front of and behind the camera.

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A proud British, American, and Canadian citizen, Tonya splits her time between Los Angeles and Toronto and continues to lead, advocate, and inspire as one of the most influential voices in the global screen industry.