Taryn Manning may be a renowned actress and musician but to her beloved pet Penguin – a pooch not an aquatic bird – she is just mom.
The 36-year-old, originally from Falls Church, Va., turned down a dancing slot at the prestigious Juilliard School to focus all her talents on acting. And Manning clearly made the right move – since 1999, she has appeared in numerous television shows and movies.
Currently, Netflix viewers love Manning as Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett on the hit series “Orange is the New Black.” Moviegoers enjoyed her performances in such films as “Hustle & Flow,” “8 Mile,” “Crossroads” and “Crazy/Beautiful.” She also produces content as the co-founder of Search and Rescue Productions.
Electronic and dance music fans know Manning as a talented singer. She put out two albums with her brother Kellin under the name Boomkat (2003’s “Boomkatalog.One” and 2009’s “A Million Trillion Stars”) and also released several solo tunes, including “Send Me Your Love,” which hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs chart in 2012. She also deejays at some of the hottest clubs in the U.S. This Halloween, she will be working her magic at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut.
But enough about work.
When Headlines & Global News talked with the fashionable star, all Manning wanted to chat about was her darling dog Penguin!
Tell everyone all about Penguin.
Penguin is a half Maltese, half Cavalier mix. She is just so sweet! I just completely fell in love with her right when I saw her because of her eyes. She has this look in her eyes like she is totally looking at you and processing what you are saying. She learned how to sit all on her own and lie down. She is just really playful and all the other dogs just love her. She is just an angel!
How did Penguin come into your life?
Well, an ex-boyfriend got her for me. There was this other dog that we saw first that we wanted to get – one of those little wiener dogs. We both fell in love with him and wanted to think about it. Next day, we woke up and said let’s get him. So we went and he was gone. So then I looked and saw Penguin. I was like, “Look at her!” I never thought I would get a female dog, I always liked males better. My ex was unsure also. He was saying, “You sure you want a girl?” She was just so sweet and, again, those eyes just told so many stories.
What's different about owning a female dog?
I just have this thing about males. I even say, “When I have my first son....” There was just always something about boys that I was always drawn to. Having a girl now is just so cute. When I’m getting ready in the bathroom, she will just sit and watch me like a little girl would. She likes to play with makeup. She is just the best to cuddle with. She has been there for me through my breakup and that really helped me. She is just a sweetheart. She is always in a good mood. Sometimes we go through things and she really has been there for me.
What are some of the things Penguin does to cheer you up or make you laugh?
She has this great, playful bark she does when she wants attention and wants to play. She is a total tomboy. She loves to fetch. I put bows in her hair so people know she is a girl because she is such a little tomboy. She is hilarious and truly makes me laugh.
Tell me about some of Penguin’s favorite things.
Her favorite toys are anything that is not a dog toy! [Laughs] She loves hairbrushes, makeup.... She has gotten a hold of a lip gloss that is red and has completely torn it apart, and when she looks up her entire beard is red. That’s also a mess for the house. She is a little mischievous. She really likes to get into everything that she shouldn’t. You have to watch your shoes because she loves those. She really loves to fetch – she will run for hours playing fetch because she has so much energy. Honestly, I feel she was brought into my life to show me joy. She is always in a good mood and is really inspiring. Everyday she is in a great mood, wagging her tail. I’m like, “Gosh, girl, you really teach me how to love life.” She makes me laugh out loud and is just so trusting – that is a huge quality that I love. She teaches me a lot.
What does Penguin think about your music?
She loves when I sing! She looks up at me and is like, “Yeah, sing mom!” I bring her to the studio with me late nights. She loves it. She can totally deal with the music. I love having a small dog because they are easy to take everywhere. She is just so easy. I really didn’t have to train her all that much. She is just so well-behaved. You can take her anywhere and she is just so awesome. She is completely house broken and never ever has accidents.
Why the name Penguin?
We were watching “March of the Penguins.” I couldn’t think of a name. My last dog’s name was Speakers, so I was thinking something musical. I just couldn’t come up with anything. So my ex actually came up with the name and I loved it.
Do you enjoy doing music better than acting?
Yes. I think music is my true true love. I just feel, sometimes, there is just so much competition in the acting world. But when you can just sing and write songs, there is just this sense of fulfillment that you get from it and you don’t feel like you’re part of this herd. That’s not to say that you can’t stand out as an actress because you can, and there are so many amazing actors, but my music gives me a sense of individuality that I yearn for that I need to make me feel whole.
Have you written any songs about Penguin yet?
I haven’t yet. That would be really cute. I should for sure. Once I’m in the studio, it’s hard to say to the producers, “Hey, you want to write a song about my dog?” [Laughs]
Do you have any animal issues that you would like to address?
There are so many that I would like to address. I have been vegetarian my whole life and just recently started eating meat again because of my blood type. That was not fun for me to find that out. I’m such an animal lover and it is just so hard for me.
What have you learned from Penguin?
She has totally inspired me to be in the happiest mood everyday. She has taught me so much about joy and she is so trustworthy of people. Trust for me has always been an issue and, honestly, she is teaching me about trust.
If Penguin was a celebrity who would she be?
Punky Brewster because she is like a child, just a kid. Also, the total tomboy.
Does she have any of your personality traits?
For the most part, she is really different from me – that's how she inspires me so much. She can be a brat and I can be a brat. You know what she does that is so random and I don’t know where she learned this from? Whenever I grab her leash, you know how most dogs run and get all excited? She runs away and cowers like she is scared and doesn’t want to go on the walk. But once you hook the leash on, she’s okay. Yes, she runs away, runs under the bed, so you can’t get to her and cowers and acts like someone beat her. I’m like, “No one beat you. I got you when you were just a baby.” It is actually real cute. She will do it anywhere she’s at.
What’s something Penguin does not like?
One thing that is really funny is she doesn’t like pink. One time I got her groomed and they put pink bows on her ears and she wasn’t herself. I was like, “What is wrong with my dog?” Then she ripped out the pink bows and was like, “Yeah! I’m back.” So the next time, we made sure to put black bows in and she was totally down with the black. So I’m slowly trying to bring her back to pink. I did purple and she likes purple. She does not like pink.
Anything else?
When I got her, I had just booked two movies back-to-back, so my mom took care of her while I was working. So my mom came out to visit me on the set with her on the second film and I missed her so much. But when I saw her, there was no connection on her part and it broke my heart. She was thinking that my mom was her mom. My mom is really great with dogs, but it really hurt me. So I was making sure that I got that bond back. On that trip, I really worked at connecting again, but it still wasn’t happening. As we got back home and back to L.A., she was like, “Oh! You’re my mom!” Then she would just follow me around and there was that sense of feeling like the good mom. She was having that need for me, and I know when I leave the room now she cries and that breaks my heart. There is also something that makes me feel good about it – she knows I’m her mommy. I know I’m not the most responsible person all the time, but she doesn’t judge me. I’ll come home late sometimes, but my brother lives with me and he’s there to take care of her also.
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