| Birth place | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actress · writer |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Relatives | Nissae Isen (sister) |
Tajja Isen is a Canadian actress and writer. Her first book, the essay collection Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service, was published in April 2022.[1] As an actress, she is best known for voicing the title character Atomic Betty. She has several other voice credits, including Samantha in Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure, Sister Bear in the 2002 revival of The Berenstain Bears, Pipsqueak in The ZhuZhus, Princess Pea/Presto in the PBS Kids show Super Why!, Jane in Jane and the Dragon, Jodie in Time Warp Trio, Franny's singing voice in Franny's Feet, and Jazzi in The Save-Ums!.
Early life
Isen was born in Toronto, the oldest of five children to Karen, who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago and Jordie Isen, who is of Eastern European heritage. Her younger sister, Nissae is also an actress.[2]
Career
At 10 years old, she began her voice acting career with Nelvana's 2002 version of The Berenstain Bears, where she voiced Sister Bear. Before that, she was a huge fan of the books and watched videos of the 1985 series.[3] At the age of 9, she portrayed Young Nala in a Toronto stage production of Disney's The Lion King[3] and was nominated for an Equity Emerging Artist Award for that role.[4]
Her first book, Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service, was published in 2022 by Atria/One Signal and Doubleday Canada.[5] She was the editor-in-chief of Catapult magazine.[6]
Selected filmography
Animation
List of voice performances in animation
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | The Berenstain Bears | Sister Bear | |
| 2002–06 | The Save-Ums! | Jazzi | |
| 2003–07 | JoJo's Circus | Trina Tightrope/Princess Josephina | Main role (Trina) |
| 2005–08 | Franny's Feet | Lacey/Franny (singing voice) | 2 episodes/singing voice in the theme song |
| 2004–08 | Atomic Betty | Betty Barrett/Atomic Betty (title role) | 78 episodes |
| 2005–06 | Time Warp Trio | Borte/Jodie | episodes 3, 20–26, voiced by Sarah Gadon from 1–14 (earlier) Credited as Tajja Eisen. |
| 2005–06 | Jane and the Dragon | Jane (title role) | 26 episodes |
| 2005–07 | Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends | Lil Sis | 4 episodes |
| 2005–08 | Miss BG | BG (singing voice) | Opening and closing songs |
| 2006 | Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks | Pony | 52 episodes |
| 2007–16 | Super Why! | Princess Pea/Presto | Main role |
| 2010–11 | Pirates: Adventures in Art | Princess Cleo | Main role |
| 2011–23 | Mia and Me | Yuko | 26 episodes |
| 2011–12 | My Big Big Friend | Nessa | Main role |
| 2016–17 | The ZhuZhus | Pipsqueak | 26 episodes |
| 2017–20 | Top Wing | Additional voices | |
| 2019–21 | Norman Picklestripes | Juniper | Main role |
| 2021–23 | Go, Dog. Go! | Cheddar Biscuit | Voice role |
Live-action roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Doc | Mindy | Episode: "Complicated" |
| 2009–10 | The Latest Buzz | Zuzu Moon | Voice, 3 episodes |
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Heidi | Heidi | Voice |
| 2006 | Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure | Samantha | Voice |
Awards
- 2004 – Young Artist Awards- Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role – Nominated (Berenstain Bears)[7]
- 2007 – Young Artist Awards- Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role – Won (Jane and the Dragon)[8]
- 2009 – Gemini Awards- Best Individual or Ensemble Performance in an Animated Television Show or Series – Won (Atomic Betty)[9]
References
- ^ Isen, Tajja (April 19, 2022). Some of My Best Friends. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781982178420.
- ^ Fanfair, Ron. "Isen comfortable being cast in male voice-over roles" July 27, 2017. Retrieved on March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Tajja Isen Interview". toonarific.com. December 11, 2005. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
- ^ Fanfair, Ron (October 29, 2009). "Gemini Award for first-time nominee". sharenews.com. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
- ^ "About"
- ^ "Catapult | Catapult Magazine". Catapult. February 8, 2022.
- ^ "25th Annual Young Artist Awards – Winners and Nominations". youngartistawards.com. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
- ^ "28th Annual Young Artist Awards – Nominations / Special Awards". youngartistawards.org. March 10, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
- ^ "Gemini Awards Celebrate Comedy, Drama and Variety". broadcastermagazine.com. October 21, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
External links
- Tajja Isen at IMDb