Taylor Roberts

Taylor Roberts is an American actress, poet, and creative director. Working with an artistic flair and a passion for humanitarianism, she is the Creative Director for Montecito Brands Inc, a collection a brands such as Montecito Coffee Company and Montecito Wine Company which designate a portion of their gross revenue to help rebuild the community after the devastating wildfires and mudslides of 2017 and 2108. She is known for her acting roles such as Rachel Clark on AMC's TURN Washington's Spies and Lady Macbeth in the recent Macbeth Unhinged. A North Carolina girl at heart, Taylor was named for her Mother's side of the family. The Taylors were original settlers of Carolina and Virginia, and Taylor's grandfather was a cousin of the late actress, Dame Elizabeth Taylor. Formerly an accomplished ballet dancer, Taylor Roberts came of age in the highly disciplined dance field, performing with such companies as the Royal Ballet of London and training at the prestigious Kirov Academy of Ballet. On her first film audition in Manhattan Roberts booked the role of Louise in Mona Lisa Smile, directed by Mike Newell and starring Julia Roberts. Soon after, Taylor was personally invited to participate in a series of staged readings organized by Al Pacino and Patrice Chéreau. Over the span of two years Taylor contributed her talents to Betsy and Napoleon, playing the title role of Betsy to Pacino's Napoleon. She considers these readings a highlight of her early career, working alongside Mr. Pacino, F. Murray Abraham, Scarlett Johansson, Carol Kane, Sam Rockwell, Eric Stoltz, and Bebe Neuwirth, and produced by Colleen Camp. Taylor so impressed Pacino that he personally invited her back for several readings over the years, even asking her to help him rehearse for the Merchant of Venice, reading Portia to his Shylock. During the success of these readings the buzz started to grow. Soon after, Roberts tackled the challenging role of Emily, a mentally challenged savant, in Melissa Painter's, Admissions. In the film Taylor gracefully fashioned the character based on research and work with savants in and around Los Angeles. The film also starred Lauren Ambrose, Amy Madigan, Christopher Lloyd and John Savage. More exposure came for Roberts as Camilla Barnes on Law & Order: Criminal Intent in the episode, Shrink-Wrapped. Proving her versatility she went against her young ingénue demeanor to play the surprise murderer alongside actors Vincent D'Onofrio, Margaret Colin, and Brent Spiner Roberts attended the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts studying both ballet and receiving her degree in Theatre working under then Dean of Drama, Gerald Freedman. On stage she has tackled such roles as Rosalind in Shakespeare's As You Like It, Emily in Our Town, Nastya in Gorky's The Lower Depths, and Abigail Adams in 1776. A hiatus from acting followed due to illness. Eventually, Roberts returned to acting with television roles on Loiter Squad (2012), Killing Kennedy (2013), and the recurring role of Rachel Clark in AMC's period drama, TURN: Washington's Spies. In 2012 Taylor published her first book of poetry, Bombshell Bohemia. Within 24 hours the book rose to Amazon's Top 100 list for Poetry Best-Sellers. She has also worked as an art director for fashion and beauty brands in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Life and Style Magazine. In 2018 after surviving the deadly debris flow at her home in Montecito, CA, she became the founding Creative Director for Montecito Brands Inc, a collection a brands such as Montecito Coffee Company and Montecito Wine Company which designate a portion of their gross revenue to help rebuild the community.