Tamara Dobson

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title: "Tamara Dobson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1947-births", "2006-deaths", "20th-century-african-american-actresses", "20th-century-american-actresses", "actresses-from-baltimore", "african-american-female-models", "deaths-from-multiple-sclerosis", "people-with-multiple-sclerosis", "deaths-from-pneumonia-in-maryland", "maryland-institute-college-of-art-alumni", "neurological-disease-deaths-in-maryland", "american-television-actresses", "american-film-actresses", "21st-century-african-american-people", "21st-century-african-american-women"] description: "American actress and model" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamara_Dobson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American actress and model ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Tamara Dobson
image	Tamara_Dobson.jpg
caption	Dobson in Cleopatra Jones (1973)
birth_name	Tamara Janice Dobson
birth_date
birth_place	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
resting_place	Woodlawn Cemetery, Woodlawn, Maryland, U.S.
occupation
height	6 ft
education	Maryland Institute College of Art
yearsactive	1969–1987
known_for	Cleopatra Jones – Cleopatra Jones, Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold
nationality	American
::

| name = Tamara Dobson | image = Tamara_Dobson.jpg | caption = Dobson in Cleopatra Jones (1973) | birth_name = Tamara Janice Dobson | birth_date = | birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | resting_place = Woodlawn Cemetery, Woodlawn, Maryland, U.S. | occupation = | height = 6 ft | education = Maryland Institute College of Art | yearsactive = 1969–1987 | known_for = Cleopatra Jones – Cleopatra Jones, Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold | nationality = American Tamara Janice Dobson (May 14, 1947 – October 2, 2006) was an American actress and fashion model. Beginning her career in modeling during the late 1960s, Dobson became best known for her title role as government agent Cleopatra "Cleo" Jones in the 1973 blaxploitation film Cleopatra Jones and its 1975 sequel Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold.

Early life and education

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Dobson was the second of four children born to Melvin and Evelyn Dobson (née Russell). She attended Western High School, an academically demanding all-girls institution. Her father sold tickets for the Pennsylvania Railroad and her mother was a beautician. The family was poor, but Tamara had the full complement of piano, tap and ballet lessons. Her parents sent her on to the Baltimore Institute of Art, and after she got her degree, she went on to qualify as a beautician, like her mother.

Dobson started as a beautician. Dobson started her modeling career doing fashion shows at her school, Maryland Institute College of Art, where she also received her degree in fashion illustration. While studying, Dobson was discovered in 1969 and began to film commercials and modeled.

Career

After school, Dobson moved from Maryland to New York to model and act full-time. Dobson modeled for Jet Magazine sometime during her early modeling career. She was also in TV commercials for Revlon, Fabergé, and Chanel. Dobson is also recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Tallest Leading Lady in Film", standing at 6 feet 2 inches. Aside from Cleopatra Jones, Dobson had roles in other films such as Come Back, Charleston Blue; Chained Heat and Norman... Is That You?

Dobson also starred in episode 13 of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as Doctor Delora Bayliss and in Season 2 of Jason of Star Command.

Work discrimination

Dobson experienced racial discrimination during her time working on films. When interviewed by The New York Times, Dobson said,

Health and death

Dobson was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000. She died on October 2, 2006, at Keswick Multi-Care Center in Baltimore, Maryland, Dobson never married or had children.

Filmography

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Come Back, Charleston Blue		Uncredited
1972	Fuzz	Rochelle
1973	Cleopatra Jones	Cleopatra "Cleo" Jones
1975	Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold
1976	Norman... Is That You?	Audrey
1977	Murder at the World Series	Lisa	TV movie
1979	Jason of Star Command	Samantha	12 episodes
1979	Buck Rogers in the 25th Century	Delora Bayliss	1 episode
1983	Chained Heat	Duchess
1984	Amazons	Rosalund Joseph	(final film role)
::

References

References

1. Lentz III, Harris M.. (24 October 2008). "Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2006: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre". McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.
2. McCann, Bob. (21 December 2009). "Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television (Tamara Dobson)". McFarland.
3. "Tamara Dobson, 59; Former Model Starred in 'Cleopatra Jones' Movies". [[The Los Angeles Times]].
4. Thompson, M. Cordell. (13 September 1973). "(JET Magazine) Tamara Dobson: Tall, Tough And Talented Actor".
5. "Smart, Tall and Beautiful, Tamara Dobson {{!}} African American Registry".
6. David Michael Ettlin. (October 6, 2006). "Cleopatra Jones star Tamara Dobson dies at 59". [[Houston Chronicle]].
7. Klemesrud, Judy. (August 19, 1973). "Tamara Dobson—Not Super Fly But Super Woman". [[The New York Times]].
8. (23 October 2006). "(JET Magazine) Tamara Dobson, 59: Known For 'Cleopatra Jones' Film Roles". Johnson Publishing Company.
9. (October 5, 2006). "Actress Tamara Dobson, 59, starred as 'Cleopatra Jones'". [[Baltimore Sun]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::