Tara was born on the 18th September 1967 in Cuckfield with brown eyes to an Irish mother (Sarah) & Italian born father (Michael Callaby) who separated when Tara was 4 yrs old. When they went to live with their Aunt & Uncle in London, together with her two younger sisters, Arabella (who was born in the Bahamas) & Bianca. She is the grandniece of the actress Geraldine Fitzgerald. Her mother who once worked as a waitress is a portrait photographer. Her father an unsuccessful artist who killed himself when she was 11 yrs old. Tara as a child went to six primary schools as far apart as Stratford-upon-Avon, London & the Bahamas (taken there by both parents to see her mother's father a Dublin lawyer, who had settled there for tax purposes). She left Sixth form college after only a year & tried earning a living as a waitress like her mother had done many years earlier, she even toured Europe looking to find herself. She finally decided on London's Drama Centre from which she graduated in July 1990 to find almost immediate (2 weeks) success with HEAR MY SONG. At 19 whilst in a solid relationship with a medical student she suffered an ectopic pregnancy which haemorrhaged and aborted. Had a 5 year relationship with Dorian Healy of ITV's Soldier, Soldier which ended in 1997. Was reported in 1997 to be a celebrity fan of Chelsea Football Club. Quoted as describing Grimethorpe the setting for Brassed Off as 'the asshole of nowhere' which she later apologised for. John Anderson, Musical Director of Brassed Off says Tara has an extensive CD collection of brass band music. The film opened the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in the USA in 1997. Her acting career has continued unabated with work in films, television, radio & theatre. TARA married John Shahnazarian, her director in The Snatching of Bookie Bob and her co-star in A Streetcar Named Desire on 10th December 2000 at the Royal Geographical Society headquarters in London. They are now parted & divorced.
John Robinson 8 December 2000