When I see poor acting on television or in film, I often wonder how that particular actor got the part when there are thousands of more talented thespians in the world. Such is the case with Tina DiJoseph, who plays Deputy Mayor Lynn DiNovi on the supernatural crime drama, “Medium.” According to her IMDB credits, DiJoseph did appear in the show’s pilot, along with seven other episodes last season. I remember thinking how forced and wooden her acting was from the start, and was surprised when her role expanded this season to include an affair with Det. Lee Scanlon (David Cubitt). Doing some research, I found the following tidbit on TV.com:
Tina, who appears on the show in the recurring capacity of Deputy Mayor Lynn DiNovi, married Medium creator Glenn Gordon Caron in the fall of 2006.
According to her IMDB profile, “Medium” is DiJoseph’s first credited acting gig, so my question is: did the romance with Caron precede her landing the part, or vice versa?
Forget it. I think I know the answer.
Television has a reputation for being a lesser medium than film, and these types of casting decisions are a contributing factor. Sure, equally untalented people have landed roles in film, but the audience is only forced to watch them perform once, not every week.
Glenn Gordon Caron, according to IMDb, was born in 1954. I don’t think Ms. DiJoseph could post a birthday within 20 years of that. Discuss.
I’m guessing she’s in her early thirties, which would put her right at the cusp.
I heard that the plan for next season is for her to take over the starring role from Patricia Arquette. In the season premiere, she’ll wake up from a dream and at the bottom it’ll say, “The role of Allison Dubois will now be played by Tina DiJoseph.”
Yes, she is married to Gordon Caron (it was on a special feature on the rental version). And yes,it preceeded it. It explains a lot…Scanlon’s got this history with exotic women and then he falls for plain Jane with no discernable personality. Fun storyline…he dumps her and she goes stalker on him!
I knew it! We couldn’t believe how seriously HORRIBLE her acting was on Medium, and we thought for sure she must be sleeping with someone! Sure enough.
You are all wrong Tina is not 20 years younger than Glen I should know I was her College roomate.
She has a degree and was established before Glen and her met. I think she is a great actress.leave her alone. She has married Glen because she loves him Period!
SO SHUT UP!
I wonder if all of her ex-roommates think she’s a good actor.
Your just jealous and wrong about her age and talent and when she met Glen. If you really knew her you would know she has alot to offer other than a bed partner. I hate it when people assume that’s the only reason she got the part. She was excellent last night and is only getting better.
and yes we all love her.
No one said she wasn’t a nice gal. I’m sure she has a lot more to offer than a “bed partner.” But we’re going to have to agree to disagree about her acting. It’s brutal, and the posters over at IMDB
seem to agree.
Last night’s episode was a perfect example of her consistently wooden and forced delivery.
On a side note, her Wikipedia page says she was born in 1962.
We will disagree about her acting skill. Others like her too. Not all the posts are negative. Unlike many other people I will not discuss her private life except to say you don’t even have her birth date right. I like her with Scanlon they have good chemistry and we all know Glen is a master at chemistry remember moonlighting. I think he put a great cast together from Patricia to the kids and he has had wonderful guest stars.
Are you sure its her acting and not her character that you dislike? Lyn the character is no Allison she is self absorbed and wants power unlike the likable Allison. Lyn,I think she has a vunerable side that Scanlon could bring out. Just keep an open mind and ease up on Tina
I’m sure it’s the acting I don’t like. Of the five people who commented over at IMDB, three don’t like her, one was neutral, and the one who liked her said she was “hot.” I’m sure she’s a lovely person, but acting just isn’t her thing.
Wiki has her
b-day as 2/18/62.
Tina DiJoseph is a cousin, and she was born in 1962. Her acting is not wooden or bad, she is quite good in fact. I find at times that Patricia’s acting on the Medium is horrible, and I wonder how she got the job. Not the other way around.
I do believe this child is not 46 years old ,The Wickepedia has it wrong.They are grasping at straws.I think she is beautiful and her acting is fantastic. Get a life and leave her alone.!!!!!!
Ann, as her cousin, you are not the most objective critic of her acting talent.
Lee, you went way overboard by saying her acting is “fantastic.” Your credibility is shot.
I just watched the premiere and while her acting wasn’t as wooden as it was in her first appearances, it wasn’t all that good either. She has moved from a F to a D, and is on the road to being mediocre.
I have to disagree with most of you here. I am a huge fan on the show Medium and have watched each episode many times. Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that I am familiar with DiJoseph’s work and her character on the show.
While I will admit she is not the best actor on the show, I kind of like her. I just think you guys are misinterpreting her character. It is her nature to put up a shield when emotions get high. Her work is important to her and she does not want to let these things get in her way. Then she becomes confused with her relationship with Scanlon and deals with it the only way she knows how, to keep putting up a shield. This might come across as “wooden,” but it’s just her character. I know many people like this.
And I think she did get better in last Monday’s episode. Did you not get the caring and understanding that was coming off her? Obviously not.
So, that’s what I have to say. I like her and am looking forward to seeing her character more on Medium!
I also think she is awful. She looks timid and frightened whether it’s just saying hello or telling Scanlon he’s a jerk for following the other officers and their blue flu. I understand her character might “sheild her emotions”, but I doubt that she is suppose to show no emotion at all. As far as you wanting to see her more on Medium…your lying. You want to see more of a relationship with Scanlon and a woman, because the show lacks authentic relationships. I wish they had more aspects of the Dubois family life. It seems they haven’t been doing as much of this recently.
Well I am first cousin to Tina But I havent seen her in years I know she isnt older then me And I am 51 But her exact age I am not sure. But to be honest I have never watched her show. Of course her Mom says she is a great actor for me I guess I will have to watch the show this year and see for myself.
I’m sorry. I’m sure she is a lovely person, but I have to agree with the people that say she is not a good actor. After the show today, I immediately went to IMDB to see what her acting history was like. I was not shocked to find that she had no other experience. I googled her only because I needed to know if she was related to someone. I have never witnessed such a terrible performance on TV.
I have to admit that I think she is one of the worst actors I have ever seen. I know that she is married to the creator but that doesn’t mean that he needed to give her a job. My Husband is the service manager for a major car dealership but he would not give me a job there just because I am his wife and I would not expect him too either because I don’t have a clue how to fix cars and Tina should admit that she doesn’t have a clue about acting and that her husband should not have given her the job just because they are married.
I love tina’s character and think that she is a great actress. You all are being very cruel and need to lay off. She has the job get over it! Also, is it true that Patricia is leaving? If so, then I will not be watching anymore,
When I see Tina DiJoseph on MEDIUM, I think to myself “Maybe I’ll stick this needle in my eye to stop the pain”.
I appreciate all of Tina’s relatives, ex-roommates and various ass-kissers putting their two cents in – to them, I say “You are all wonderful people to be so positive! The check is in the mail and God Bless America and we, as viewers, DO have lives. Oh! And she WAS dating the creator when the pilot script was written BTW.”
The fact of the matter is that the poor woman has ONE acting face for EVERY SCENE. She has NO RANGE of emotions – “I’m sad” (same face), “I’m ecstatic!” (same face), “I’m pregnant!” (same face), “I’m texting” (same face while in car, evening). The mere fact of her even having ANY on-air TV time is a slap in the face to the countless actors out there who take the CRAFT of acting seriously (including the other terrific actors on MEDIUM). I DREAD her being on an episode and I PITY the poor guy who plays Scanlon. Hang in there, Buddy!
NBC needs to get on this and pull the plug on DiJoseph’s character or at least replace her with a more qualified/engaging/non-suckadelic actor. Shame on the network for NOT doing anything about this! Get on it, NBC!
I’m sure Tina is a wonderful person, but I have to agree that acting is not her forte. I’m only on this site because I was trying to find out if anyone agrees with the way I’ve felt about her performances for the last few years. I really enjoy watching Medium, and the Lynn character has such potential — especially now that she’s with Scanlon and pregnant. It’s a golden opportunity for Tina to shine as an actor, but it seems like she’s throwing it away, playing personal life scenes with the same lack-of-emotion she’s used on prior episodes to quietly threaten the DA with the “mayor card”. It was annoying but tolerable when her role was limited, but now that it’s expanding she needs to give more. We’re finally getting more glimpses into Scanlon’s personal life, and quite frankly she’s ruining it for me. I hope she loosens up. I really want to like her.
Similar to the last commenter, I found this discussion by googling
(ok, the system ate my comment!)
I found this discussion by googling “Tina DiJoseph is a horrible actress” because I’m watching the show right now and she takes me right out of the story every time she gives one of those dead line readings. It’s so irritating. I had to see what the deal was, because usually when you see a truly terrible actor it’s a young sexpot type. If I weren’t interested in Scanlon’s storyline, I’d fast-forward her.
I’m sure it’s hard to have a good friend or family member in the public eye getting criticism, but it is really nothing personal. I totally believe everyone who says she is a wonderful person, but she’s a wonderful person who can’t act. Or at the very least, she is not trained or experienced enough to handle this large a role. Putting it like “who is she sleeping with” is crass and I would probably be offended too if it were said about someone I cared about, but still – it is obvious that nepotism got her the job. It damages the credibility of both of them and I can’t believe the network puts up with it.
And with that off my chest, back to the show!
She sucks! I can’t stand her! I don’t care if she is my cousin I don’t like her! She left our family to go be a bad actress and sleep with the director just to get the job. I am sick of her crap! She can stay over there and be hated by everyone who has ever seen her acting skills or lack there of.
I met her once and she was a bitch! She was all “I’m too good for you” when I asked for an autograph. She was all forget that and I was all I’m never watching medium again!
Now don’t be like that. You guys please try to be nice. I can’t stand to see people like this. Would jesus have said things like this? No he wouldnt of now lets just try to be nice and get along. Who wants to sing a hymn? “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now Im found was blind but now I see.” Now isnt that better??
Whoa Whoa there Jesus freak. Calm down. Lol
I was convinced that this character was probably played by the real Allison Dubois since her acting was so bad. So I googled the show and then found this site. I also just found out that the show has been cancelled. So Sad.
I came here wondering if others also thought Tina wasn’t such a great actor, and I see I am not the only one thinking that. I don’t think she is horrible, but I really don’t think she matches Scanlon at all, there’s just no chemistry and he has always chased after a different kind of lady. It just goes to show that good acting isn’t as easy as it looks. It’s a shame she’s gained weight with the pregnancy, but on the other hand, it is total realism, this is what most women do!
It’s funny — as soon as she popped up on this week’s episode I figured that we’d get a couple of more comments on this thread. Sure enough.
And Melissa — NBC canceled Medium, but CBS picked it up, so we’ll probably be treated to more Tina DiJoseph next season.
I would agree that her acting was pretty bad in the beginning, but I think she has improved. She isn’t going to win awards, but she doesn’t pull me out of the story anymore and I actually like the path the Scanlon character is taking because of the pregnancy.
Well, interesting discussion you got going on here.
I havent seen all the medium episodes, watching the first season on box atm, and seen a few of the recent seasons on the telly.
The thing is, she really isnt that bad. Ofc all of you who dont agree with me here is entitled to your opinion. But I believe that my position as a non-american reserves me a spot as a more objective party.
I like “Hollywood”.
That said, i dont like the “hollywood-ian” way of making movies and tv-series. Sure there is a bunch of good actors and a whole lot of good stories, and the spot-on portraying of everyday life wouldnt make for a very entertaining half-hour.
But the deliberate overacting, and making it convenient and easy for the audience to understand the plot really takes away the joy of waching any series or movie.
The Medium series caught my eye, because of the everyday feel it got. Altough very much “hollywood”, the cast is really striking me with their authenticity, including the character Lynn Dinovi.
While i cant say the character Lynn Dinovi is in any way important to the series, i cant find any flaws in the performance of the actor.
Sure it MAY be poor acting, but in that case, what huge luck to find a poor actor who portrays Lynn in such a everyday way.
And i can say that with the experience of having wached MUCH of what the world has to offer in television entertainment.
If i had to rate the Medium series it would get about 6,5/10.
And that includes the acting of Tina DiJoseph.
(compare it to Hollywood in general who only deserves a 3/10 !)
Greetings from the land of Smörgåsbord and Swedish Meatballs ! //
Cid
Well, I know Tina and her family. She is a very kind and sweet. Everyone has to start somewhere and I think it is awesome. She has worked ve ry hard in a very tough business. I am 42 and Tina is younger than I am. The fact of the matter is she landed the role and Thats it.
I have been a medium fan since season 1. I’ve always liked how realistic the family life and characters are. Reminds me of my own family, minus the psychic dreams. I enjoy the Lynn and Lee storyline and I hope they expand on it more in season 6. They definitely have chemistry between them. Tina Dijoseph has improved a lot since the first two seasons. I thought her acting was really good throughout season’s four and five and am looking foward to season 6.
I think that Tina Dijoseph has improved 100% with her acting. The first season she was not that good but she got a little better each season and by season four she was great. I think people are just mad that she is related to someone on the show. But so what. If your relative is a dentist you get free dental work, if they own a restaurant you get free food. So what if she knows someone on the show and they give her a small part, good for her! I like the Lynn character and like the storyline with Scanlon, I hope they get more screentime in season six!!!
Well my wife and I are longtime fans of Medium. We love the stories how they intertwine everyday life with the inner workings of a district attorney’s office and the edgy world of Allison Duboise’ dreams. I have to say however that character Lynn stood out for us in the first season as an oddball. I I initially speculated that she was an actual servent of the city of Phoenix who landed a role in exchange for a tax break, consulting, or by some other strange and yet unknown connection. She didn’t seem attractive enough to me to have landed her role via the proverbial casting couch. It was clear to my wife and I that she was out of place and her depth as an actor. I have to say the connection to the shows creator is not a huge surprise and it all seems clear to me now. CBS should have her become the victim of foul play this season. I agree with others that she’s a huge distraction and that she detracts from the amazing talent of the other professionals on the show.
OMG,LOL! I found this site like everyone else who has posted…I just saw the pilot episode again and noticed she had a speaking role as a Texas Ranger…figured out she must be sleeping with someone ’cause her acting is so bad and now has a featured role in the series. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who understands how she got her role.
The pilot was season one when she was starting out. You can see that she has gotten much better each season ,if you are a Medium fan like I am. I don’t see any flaws in her acting since season three. I like her as the deputy mayor and the thing she has with Scanlon. I hope they have a lot more storylines in the coming seasons!!
I like Tina Dijoseph as Lynn on Medium. I like her storyline with Det Scanlon. Her acting was not that good during the first season but she has improved 100%.
Has anyone noticed that her real last name and her character’s last name are very much alike?
Makes you wonder if the role was modelled after her persona.
She has improved. No doubt about it, and writing her out of the series now is very rash, but giving her such an important role in the beginning of her acting career is very rash as well.
At the moment, I would say: give her a shot this season. And if her acting really hasn’t improved since season 6, then you can complain again.
I agree with you Bram. She has improved,no doubt about it.
Also I did notice the similiar last name and agree the part was probably written for her.
Which is okay because she has a small part as a recurring character.
I also really enjoy her relationship with Scanlon.
I personally would like to see more of them next season
I was surpised to find this site, wonder about the motive. I realize this site is from 2006 when
she first started on Medium and wasn’t the best actress but I don’t think she was ever that bad to warrant this site. Anyway she has improved immensely since then and I enjoy her story on Medium. I also hope to see more of her and Scanlon in the coming season.
I have one question: Is Tina DiJoseph pregnant in “real life” too? She seems to have gained a lot of weight as well as her face looking rather puffy. But I can’t find anywhere that says she is really going to have a baby. So, does anyone know?
I thought Tina was great in last nights episode so she has definitely improved 100%.She has been really good this season and last one too. You could tell she is definitely pregnant in “real life”. A lot of people get puffy in the third trimester in “real life”. It’ll be nice to see her and Scanlon with a baby in season six
Guys,
Here’s the thing. I actually kinda like her character. Sure, she’s no Oscar Award Winner, but she’s doing the best she can. I liked her character and acting enough to look around and find this article. Now her are two points I want to make:
1. Her character in my opinion gives the show something else besides Allison and her family. Every show needs different angles and her being there does a great job – in my opinion – of adding to it.
As far as her acting goes, I think she’s improving. We all remember Patricia Arquette’s acting back in the olden days. Give her some time and she’ll improve.
2. This whole talk about her landing a role because she married a producer is a bit disgusting in my opinion. EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE at some point in their life will try to make things easier for themselves and maybe have a bit of success through what’s between their legs. I don’t think she’s done that.
The whole 20 year difference thing is simple: She looks younger than she is. 47 years old according to her wiki profile. Yes, 47 and looks early thirties. So that line’s dead. But if yer still wondering, please go trash all the other actresses who’ve married producers and directors before attacking an up and coming actress.
A little respect would be great.
Josh – Thank you for your comment. Let me start by saying that art is subjective and if you enjoy DiJoseph’s work then more power to you.
I have no problem with the character of Lynn DiNovi other than the fact that she’s played by Tina DiJoseph. Whether or not the character helps the show or not is irrelevant to the question of whether or not Ms. DiJoseph can act.
If you look at the date on this post, you will see it was written almost three years ago. DiJoseph has improved her acting since then and she’s not as noticeably wooden as she was back then. However, IMO her skills are not deserving of being a regular on a network show like “Medium.” That said, I will admit that she doesn’t stand out as much as she did in 2006.
I don’t understand your second point. You say that talking about her landing a role because she married a producer is disgusting and then you turn around and say that everyone at some point in their lives will try to make things easier by using what’s between their legs. Not only is that erroneous, but it contradicts your point in the first part that the talk is disgusting. (i.e. if you think everyone does it, then why is it disgusting?)
As a then-44-year-old actress, “Medium” was DiJoseph’s first credited acting gig according to IMDB.com. And she just happened to be married to the show’s producer? Give me a break.
I agree with Josh that I like the character of Lynn Dinovi. She adds something else to the show besides just Allison and her family. I really like her with Scanlon because they both seem similiar as far as puttting up a shield. It will be nice to see them with a baby maybe that will help break their shields down a bit.
As far as the actress I have seen a complete improvement since season one. I really like the pregnancy storyline and think it will be even more interesting once they have the baby. I really don’t care who she is married to as long as I enjoy the storyline!!
I like the way she plays Lynn on Medium. Her being the Deputy mayor and her relationship with Scanlin adds more interest to the show. I really enjoy their story especially now that they will have a baby. Tina has gotten so much better as an actress and I thought she was terrific in season 5.I’m sure she must have taken acting classes with professionals since she has improved so much .I hope they give her more screen time this season cause I really like to see her and Scanlin.
Hahahaha! Wow this is great! Every week my husband and I have so much fun watching The Medium. When we first noticed her terrible acting we thought we were imagining it – that it was part of what was happening with her character – it was that bad. Then we realized nope – she just SUCKS! It was so bad it was just hard to comprehend. Then she kept coming back and it just made NO SENSE. Until now (thanks for the explanation). We used to joke that she must be married to the producer. Now, we just kind of look forward to her saying even one line cause she can’t even pull off that and we get a good laugh! More comedy than intended I guess. I hate the thought of her possibly reading all this. She’s still a human being (even if she can’t act like one). Ok that was mean. But my goodness…she really must find another career. She’s ruining her own reputation (and not helping the show at ALL) by insisting on keeping this up. I really do feel bad for saying all this…but I’m a fatso and would never try to be a ballet dancer, you know?
I think she’s gotten better over the years; if she was a neophyte when the show started how could she not? But on that show her acting never stood out from the rest no matter how bad it might once have been.
I can say that; regardless of the quality of the acting I’m pretty sure I’ve watched every episode. Next to the poorly concealed British accent on “Michigan-born” Joe Dubois in the earliest episodes, Lynn’s poor acting was negligible.
UGh! Improved?? She is terrible. The other actors have to be irritated that they are forced to work with her!
Add me in as another voice that is appalled by this woman’s acting. As has been said before, I’m sure she’s a nice person, but there’s just no excuse for her being on this show.
Sorry Tina’s relatives and friends and former roomates – maybe this many people going out of their way to say how bad an actress she is means we might have a point? Just maybe?
One positive thing is that it really highlights how good the other actors are. I would never have said the guy who plays Scanlon for example was an incredible actor until I see him acting with Tina DiJoseph. Then I realize how great he really is – he just makes it seem effortless.
Tina, on the other hand, seems like it’s a great effort, or someone trying desperately to look like it’s effortless and failing miserably. She speaks in a monotone and sounds like she’s reading her lines. It’s almost like watching a Saturday Night Live episode when the actors are obviously reading cue cards. She has, to quote Hermonie Granger when speaking about Ron Weasley, “the emotional range of a teaspoon.”
Contrary to the prevailing opinion that she’s improved, I have to disagree. Ok, maybe she’s gone from a 1 to a 2, but anything less than an 8 is painful to sit through.
I do genuinely feel bad for Patricia Arquette and the guys who play Scanlon and the D.A. who have to be in scenes with her. It seems grossly unprofessional to have her on the show for their sake and our sake. I’m embarrassed for them.
It’s only because the show otherwise is so stellar that my wife and I put up with her acting. Get rid of her and find out how to end some of the episodes a little more gracefully, and we’re talking perfection here. Still, it’s one of the best shows on television.
Thanks for clearing up a big mystery for me. I just knew this wooden, not very attractive woman could not be a professional actress! So, I finally googled her.
I love Medium but,really, she needs to go. If her husband can’t see that, Kelsey Grammer or somebody else needs to step in and politely suggest she stay home with the baby or something.
I hope she’s a lovely person, but rshe really does need to find a new career.