Dinah Beth Manoff (born January 25, 1956) is an American stage, film, and television actress and

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

. She is best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on ''

Soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are us ...

'', Marty Maraschino in the film '' Grease'', Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of '' I Ought to Be in Pictures'', for which she won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

, and Carol Weston on ''

Empty Nest ''Empty Nest'' is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from October 8, 1988, to April 29, 1995. The series, which was created as a spin-off of ''The Golden Girls'' by creator and producer Susan Harris, starred Ri ...

''. She has starred in numerous television movies and guest-starred on various television programs. She mostly appeared on TV during the 1990s, but she has been seen in more recent theatrical films, such as ''

The Amati Girls ''The Amati Girls'' is a 2001 American drama film written and directed by Anne De Salvo. It stars Cloris Leachman, Mercedes Ruehl, Dinah Manoff, Sean Young, Lily Knight, Lee Grant, and Edith Fields. Premise The film centers around an Italian Am ...

'' and ''

Bart Got a Room ''Bart Got a Room'' is a 2008 comedy film written and directed by Brian Hecker, and stars Steven Kaplan, Alia Shawkat, William H. Macy, and Cheryl Hines. Also appearing in the film are Ashley Benson, Brandon Hardesty, Kate Micucci, Jennifer Tilly, ...

'', and a co-starring role on '' State of Grace''. Manoff is the daughter of actress

Lee Grant Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. She made her film debut in 1951 as a young shoplifter in William Wyler's '' Detective Story'', co-starring Kirk Doug ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Arnold Manoff Arnold Manoff (April 25, 1914 – February 10, 1965) was an American screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s. As a result of the blacklist he wrote under a pseudonym through the 1960s. Manoff's expe ...

. Since 1997, Manoff has been married to Arthur Mortell, and currently resides in

Bainbridge Island Bainbridge Island is a city and island in Kitsap County, Washington. It is located in Puget Sound. The population was 23,025 at the 2010 census and an estimated 25,298 in 2019, making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County. ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. She was previously married to Jean-Marc Joubert and had resided in Los Angeles and New York City.

Early life

Manoff was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to actress, director, and writer

, and screenwriter

. Her half-brother, Tom Manoff, is the classical music critic for NPR's ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'' and a notable composer. Her stepfather is producer Joseph Feury. She spent her childhood and teenage years in New York City and

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...

. She attended the

New Lincoln School The New Lincoln School was a private experimental coeducational school in New York City enrolling students from kindergarten through grade 12. History New Lincoln's predecessor was founded as Lincoln School in 1917 by the Rockefeller-funded Gene ...

and Santa Monica High School and later studied at the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...

. Manoff is Jewish.

Career

1970s

Manoff's first project was the independent film ''

Everybody Rides the Carousel ''Everybody Rides the Carousel'' is a 1975 independent animated film about the stages of life. It was directed by John Hubley and written and produced by Hubley and his wife Faith. Among the cast are Meryl Streep, Dinah Manoff, and Lane Smith and ...

'', providing one of the voices. In 1976, she made her first television appearance on the PBS production of ''The Stronger''. This was followed by a guest appearance on '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' in the episode "Sadie Hawkins Day", followed by an appearance in '' Visions''. In 1977, she made a cameo appearance in her first TV movie, '' Raid on Entebbe''. In 1978, Manoff got the role of Elaine Dallas (née Lefkowitz) on the ABC

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

'', and remained on the show until the end of the year. Manoff made her film debut in 1978 as Marty Maraschino, one of the Pink Ladies, in the movie version of ''Grease''.

1980s

In 1980, Manoff made her Broadway debut as Libby Tucker in

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

play, ''I Ought to Be in Pictures''. For her work in the play, she won the

for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play, as well as the

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...

. She reprised that role for the film version in 1982, with

Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), '' King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...

and

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...

. Also in 1980, Manoff appeared as Karen, the suicidal friend of

Timothy Hutton Timothy Tarquin Hutton (born August 16, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is the youngest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at age 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in ''Ordinary People ...

's character, in the multiple Oscar-winning ''

Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an uppe ...

''. In 1985, Manoff portrayed songwriter Ellie Greenwich in the Broadway jukebox musical '' Leader of the Pack''. In 1988, she played Maggie Peterson in '' Child's Play'', the first character to be killed by the murderous, possessed doll Chucky. Manoff then started a seven-year stint as Carol Weston on the NBC sitcom

which was a spin off of ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty Wh ...

, a role for which she is best known on television, and appeared in every episode of the series. In 1989, Manoff appeared in minor roles in two films late in the year: '' Bloodhounds of Broadway'' and '' Staying Together''.

1990s

In 1990, Manoff appeared in ''

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael ''Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael'' is a 1990 American comedy-drama film directed by Jim Abrahams and starring Winona Ryder and Jeff Daniels. Plot Dinky Bossetti is a 15-year-old girl who was adopted as a baby. Dinky is an unkempt goth kid who is ...

'', starring

Winona Ryder Winona Laura Horowitz (born October 29, 1971), professionally known as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Originally playing quirky roles, she rose to prominence for her more diverse performances in various genres in the 1990s. She has recei ...

and

Jeff Daniels Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and playwright, known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accol ...

. After this, Manoff focused primarily on television work, appearing in a cameo role in an episode of ''

Blossom In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as ...

'' entitled "Rockumentary" and TV movies such as ''Babies'' and '' Maid for Each Other'', as well as continuing on ''Empty Nest'' as actress and director on two episodes until its ending in 1995; she also appeared on ''The Golden Girls'' twice as Carol Weston in this period. Manoff's subsequent TV appearances included '' Touched by an Angel'', '' Cybill'', and '' George and Leo''. In 1999, Manoff directed the 82nd episode of the television series ''

Sabrina the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeare ...

'', titled "Prelude to a Kiss".

2000s–present

In 2000, Manoff appeared in the TV movie ''The Lost Child'' starring

Mercedes Ruehl Mercedes J. Ruehl (; born February 28, 1948) is an American screen, stage, and television actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, two Obie Awards, an ...

. Just a few months later in 2001, Manoff returned to film work by starring in ''

'', the sole movie released theatrically in which her mother and she have appeared together. The film also featured Mercedes Ruehl, Sean Young, and Lily Knight. Manoff appeared in a second 2001 movie, '' Zigs'', starring ''

Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for ...

Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor and television director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000), as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick in t ...

. From 2001 to 2002, Manoff co-starred in the cable television series '' State of Grace''. In 2003, Manoff played Aunt Marla in ''

A Carol Christmas ''A Carol Christmas'' is a TV movie starring Tori Spelling, Dinah Manoff, William Shatner, Jason Brooks and Gary Coleman. It premiered on the Hallmark Channel in 2003. The film is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Car ...

'', a variation on

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

' classic story. In celebration of the poet

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's 150th birthday in 2004, Manoff read some of his works in the documentary '' Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde''. After a four-year hiatus, Manoff appeared in the film ''

'' in 2009, which premiered at the

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...

, but was not released widely until the following year, when Dinah also appeared in two episodes of ''Lose Yourself'' on Strike.TV. In 2010, ''Grease'' was released a second time as a sing-along. Coinciding with its release, Manoff appeared at the

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...

Personal life

Manoff has been married to realtor Arthur Mortell since 1997. The two have three sons together: Dashiell Mortell and twins, Desi and Oliver Mortell. Dashiell was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 19 on January 7, 2017. Authorities reported that Dashiell had been a passenger in a vehicle going too fast for snowy conditions and that the accident had resulted in a nine car pile up on

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

. She was married to French designer Jean-Marc Joubert from 1980 to 1985.

Selected filmography

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Manoff, Dinah 1956 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actors Studio alumni Actresses from New York City American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American people of Russian-Jewish descent American stage actresses American television actresses American television directors Contestants on American game shows Living people Tony Award winners American women television directors