Toni Marie Villines

Toni Marie grew up in Fairfield County, where she showed a passion for performing at a young age. She appeared in numerous talent shows, plays and musicals throughout grade school and during high school, when she also studied tap/ballet/jazz at a local dance studio. Toni Marie auditioned for and became a member of the first class of Young Professionals at the Music Theater of Connecticut (now MTC School of Performing Arts), where she trained with Vocal coach Cecilia Whitlow Ingram, Dance and Theater Movement with Director/Teacher/Writer/Dancer Kevin Connors, and Actor/Teacher Jim Schilling. Toni Marie studied Theater and Writing in college, and earned a Bachelor's degree in English with a Journalism concentration. She left performing to work in various industries in various writing and business capacities, then returned to acting at 37 while studying under Reno Venturi for several years. During that time, Toni Marie appeared in plays, staged readings, monologue performances, commercials and independent films, and has written and co-produced a comedy short, "Happy Temps." Toni Marie is no longer performing, and is focusing on managing her health due to Cystic Fibrosis.