Tina Marie Majorino is an American film and television actress. She started her career as a child actor, starring in films such as Andre; When a Man Loves a Woman; Corrina, Corrina; and Waterworld. After her early success as a child actor, she returned to acting at age 18, with what remains one of her best known roles to date, the character Deb in the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite. Since her return to acting, she has been in television series such as Veronica Mars, Big Love, True Blood and Grey's Anatomy. She returned to the role of Mac in the Veronica Mars movie, and has played the part of Maggie Harris on the television series Legends. She later appeared in the recurring role of Florence in the television series Scorpion.
Early life
Majorino was born in Westlake, Californiathe daughter of Sarah and real estate agent Robert "Bob" Majorino. Her father is of Italian, Cuban, and French descent, and her mother has German, Scottish, English and Filipino ancestry. She has an older brother, Kevin, with whom she has formed a rock band, The AM Project.
Career
Majorino began her acting career in a 1992 sitcom called Camp Wilder. Her first film role was in 1994's When a Man Loves a Woman. She subsequently starred in leading roles in the family filmsCorrina, Corrina and Andre, both of which were released in August 1994. Her next film was the 1995 action filmWaterworld, playing a child named Enola. She played the title role in the 1999 television filmAlice in Wonderland. After Alice, she took time off from the business. She has since cited burnout as the reason for her hiatus from acting. She did not appear in another film until the 2004 cult filmNapoleon Dynamite. From 2004 onward, she played a recurring role on UPN's series, Veronica Mars, as the computer-savvy Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie. It began in the show's eighth episode, "Like a Virgin", and continued until the show's series finale, "The Bitch is Back". Show creator Rob Thomas created the role with her in mind. She had met Thomas while interviewing him for a report on one of his books. Majorino became a series regular in the show's third and final season. During her time on Veronica Mars, she also started appearing in a recurring role on the cable television series Big Love with Waterworld costar Jeanne Tripplehorn and fellow Veronica Mars cast members Amanda Seyfried and Kyle Gallner. In 2005, she appeared in the music video for the song "Blind" by rock group Lifehouse. She started filming for The Deep End, a television show for ABC in 2009. She played the role of Addy Fisher, a meek and insecure first-year associate at a high-profile law firm. The show was canceled after only six episodes were aired. She returned to television in 2011 playing the recurring role of Special AgentGenny Shaw on Bones. She also starred in the music video for "Fuckin' Perfect" by Pink. In 2012, she reprised her role as Deb in the animated TV version of Napoleon Dynamite. She was also seen playing the role of the vampire Molly in Season 5 of the HBO television series True Blood, an uncredited role as a pregnant woman in the Fox show, Raising Hope, in an episode titled "Tarot Cards," and the role of intern Dr. Heather Brooks in Season 9 of the ABC series Grey's Anatomy, with her character being killed off in the two-part premiere of Season 10. In 2014 she appeared in the Veronica Mars film as her character Mac, a project financed by fans through Kickstarter. Majorino was approached to reprise Mac when Veronica Mars was renewed for a fourth season by Hulu in 2019, but turned it down upon learning the role was essentially a cameo.
