We love a show that not only brings our favorite mega-stars back to the small screen but also offers up a chance for new talent to shine. And that's exactly what we're getting with Tiny Beautiful Things, Hulu's new drama series based on Cheryl Strayed's bestselling book of the same name and produced by Hollywood heavyweights Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern.
The show follows Clare, a mother, wife, and formerly promising writer whose own life is in shambles when she ironically accepts a gig as an advice columnist. As she attempts to rebuild what's been broken, she finds herself reminiscing on past pivotal moments that offer hard truths and guidance to both her and her readers' present struggles.
While comedic veteran and all-around star-power dynamo Kathryn Hahn leads the series as Clare, a new face is playing her opposite. Actress Tanzyn Crawford makes her big-screen debut as Rae, the teenage daughter of Clare, who is navigating her own identity and place in the world.
Little is known about the up-and-coming actress, but she's already making waves after her breakout role. So who is Tanzyn Crawford? Let's dive into her budding career and life outside of the show.
She's New To The Scene
And by new, we mean brand-spankin' new. Crawford's IMDb page only shows four projects prior to Tiny Little Things.
It looks like she landed her first small role in 2020 in the film Alexander, followed by two shorts.
While it takes most young actors and actresses a few years to start getting more well-known projects under their belts, it seems to have only taken Crawford three. Prior to her upcoming debut, she played Willow in Apple TV's drama-horror series Servant, created by none other than M. Night Shyamalan and starring everyone's favorite Harry Potter red-head Rupert Grint.
Needless to say, she could only go up from there.
She Has a Lot in Common With Her Character
Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup for Hulu
According to her TikTok page, Crawford has more in common with her character than most. Rae is the queer daughter of a white mother and a Black father, something the actress is very familiar with. She recently posted an empowering video about the internal monologue that plays in her head when she walks into a room as the "only 6ft tall mixed lesbian."
The sound accompanying the video is a voice saying, "unique, that's what you are." To which Crawford captioned, "someone's gotta do it!" This is just one of the many uplifting and self-affirming posts she's shared in recent months.
She also posted about the struggles and uncomfortable comments she's received as a queer person of color. But her attitude is one that continues to inspire and push back against the negative stereotypes often associated with those parts of her identity.
She's Active On Social Media
In addition to her TikTok, Crawford is also fairly active on Instagram. Her posts are a reflection of her fun-loving personality (see this super-cute video series of her "dancing in various places") as well as behind-the-scenes pics for the set of Tiny Beautiful Things.
Crawford recently posted a collection captioned "*some* faces I met in 2022" that showed off her Tiny Beautiful Things co-stars like Quentin Plair and Sarah Pidgeon. Pidgeon commented on the post with a simple summarization: "the best summer."
While her future star power has yet to reflect in her following (which, at the time of the writing, is still under 1,000 people like us non-Hollywood folk), it's only a matter of time before Crawford is as big as her on-screen peers.
Who Is Rae On Tiny Beautiful Things?
Jessica Brooks/Hulu
In her first recurring role, Crawford plays Rae, the introverted and artistic 16-year-old daughter of Clare and Danny. As a queer woman of color trying to stay afloat during her parent's tumultuous marriage, she wrestles with her identity and searches for stability.
While her story is revealed as the series progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the more Rae begins to form her own opinions of the world, the more she butts heads with her mother. Clare's flashbacks of difficult moments from her own childhood seem to influence the way she deals with Rae—but is it in Rae's best interest?
"Her biggest conflict with her daughter, Rae, is the pressure that she's putting on her to fulfill things that she was unable to fulfill in herself," Hahn told W Magazine. "Her daughter is going through her identity journey, and she is trying to keep up."
How To Watch Tiny Beautiful Things
The show has already been dubbed a must-see for 2023, so if you haven't yet added it to your list of must-watch shows, now's a great time to do so. Tiny Beautiful Things premieres on Hulu on April 7th, where you can binge-watch the entire first season.
READ MORE: Who Plays Young Clare On 'Tiny Beautiful Things?' Everything We Know About Sarah Pidgeon
