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IMDbPro

Dinah Manoff

  • Actress
  • Director
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000288
Dinah Manoff
Theatrical Trailer from United Artists
Play trailer2:07
Child's Play (1988)
2 Videos
35 Photos
Dinah Manoff was born in New York City, New York, to screenwriter Arnold Manoff and actress, director, and writer Lee Grant. She began her professional career in the PBS production of "The Great Cherub Knitwear Strike". After subsequent guest appearances on various television series, she received a Tony Award in 1980 for her performance in the Broadway production of Neil Simon's "I Ought To Be In Pictures", a role she reprised in the 1982 film version, starring opposite Walter Matthau. Additional theater credits include Broadway's "Leader of the Pack", "Alfred and Victoria", "Kingdom on Earth" and the Los Angeles stage production of "Love Letters", opposite Patrick Cassidy. On television, Manoff was a regular on the Witt-Thomas-Harris sitcoms Soap (1977) and Empty Nest (1988), and also appeared in the television movies The Cover Girl and the Cop (1989) (aka "Beauty & Denise"), Raid on Entebbe (1976), For Ladies Only (1981), The Seduction of Gina (1984), A Matter of Sex (1984), Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac (1984), the miniseries Celebrity (1984) and the NBC movie-of-the-week Babies (1990), with Lindsay Wagner. As well as her starring role in I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982), Manoff's feature film credits include Grease (1978), Ordinary People (1980), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), Backfire (1987) and Child's Play (1988).
BornJanuary 25, 1956
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJanuary 25, 1956
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000288
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Photos35

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    Known for

    John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in Grease (1978)
    Grease
    7.2
    • Marty
    • 1978
    Brad Dourif and Dinah Manoff in Child's Play (1988)
    Child's Play
    6.7
    • Maggie Peterson
    • 1988
    Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, Richard Mulligan, and Park Overall in Empty Nest (1988)
    Empty Nest
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Carol Weston
    Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, and Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People (1980)
    Ordinary People
    7.7
    • Karen
    • 1980

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actress



    • William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat, and Steven Kaplan in Bart Got a Room (2008)
      Bart Got a Room
      5.7
      • Mrs. Goodson
      • 2008
    • Tori Spelling in A Carol Christmas (2003)
      A Carol Christmas
      5.2
      TV Movie
      • Aunt Marla
      • 2003
    • State of Grace (2001)
      State of Grace
      8.4
      TV Series
      • Evelyn Rayburn
      • 2001–2002
    • Zigs (2001)
      Zigs
      4.7
      • Marge
      • 2001
    • The lost child (2000)
      The lost child
      6.4
      TV Movie
      • Helen
      • 2000
    • The Amati Girls (2000)
      The Amati Girls
      4.9
      • Denise
      • 2000
    • George & Leo (1997)
      George & Leo
      6.9
      TV Series
      • Mary
      • 1998
    • Cybill Shepherd in Cybill (1995)
      Cybill
      6.9
      TV Series
      • Amy Fitzpatrick
      • 1996
    • Roma Downey, John Dye, and Della Reese in Touched by an Angel (1994)
      Touched by an Angel
      6.1
      TV Series
      • Callie Martin
      • 1995
    • Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, Richard Mulligan, and Park Overall in Empty Nest (1988)
      Empty Nest
      6.6
      TV Series
      • Carol Weston
      • 1988–1995
    • John Larroquette in The John Larroquette Show (1993)
      The John Larroquette Show
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Kelly
      • 1993
    • Markus Flanagan, Kip Gilman, Stephanie Hodge, and Arnetia Walker in Nurses (1991)
      Nurses
      6.5
      TV Series
      • Carol Weston
      • 1992–1993
    • Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White in The Golden Girls (1985)
      The Golden Girls
      8.2
      TV Series
      • Carol Weston
      • 1991–1992
    • Dinah Manoff and Nell Carter in Maid for Each Other (1992)
      Maid for Each Other
      5.9
      TV Movie
      • Tibby Bloom
      • 1992
    • Jenna von Oÿ, Joey Lawrence, Mayim Bialik, Michael Stoyanov, and Ted Wass in Blossom (1990)
      Blossom
      6.1
      TV Series
      • Dinah Manoff
      • 1991

    Director



    • Melissa Joan Hart in Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996)
      Sabrina the Teenage Witch
      6.7
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 1999
    • Harry Hamlin and Jennifer Grant in Movie Stars (1999)
      Movie Stars
      5.7
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 1999
    • Justin Cooper, Sean O'Bryan, and William Ragsdale in Brother's Keeper (1998)
      Brother's Keeper
      6.4
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 1999
    • Minor Adjustments (1995)
      Minor Adjustments
      7.0
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 1996
    • Tamera Mowry-Housley, Tim Reid, Jackée Harry, and Tia Mowry in Sister, Sister (1994)
      Sister, Sister
      6.3
      TV Series
      • Director (directed by)
      • 1995
    • Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, Richard Mulligan, and Park Overall in Empty Nest (1988)
      Empty Nest
      6.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 1992–1995

    Writer



    • Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, Richard Mulligan, and Park Overall in Empty Nest (1988)
      Empty Nest
      6.6
      TV Series
      • written by
      • story
      • 1992–1995
    • Dinah Manoff and Nell Carter in Maid for Each Other (1992)
      Maid for Each Other
      5.9
      TV Movie
      • story
      • 1992

    Videos2

    Promo Trailer
    Trailer 0:32
    Promo Trailer
    Child's Play
    Trailer 2:07
    Child's Play
    Child's Play
    Trailer 2:07
    Child's Play

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Height
      • 5′ 4″ (1.63 m)
    • Born
      • January 25, 1956
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Spouses
        Arthur Mortell1997 - present (3 children)
    • Children
        Dashiell Manoff Mortell
    • Parents
        Arnold Manoff
    • Other works
      She acted in Neil Simon's play, "I Ought to Be In Pictures," on Broadway in New York City.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Article
      • 1 Pictorial
      • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In the film musical Grease (1978), Dinah managed to nab the plucky, sexpot role of "Marty Maraschino", despite the fact she lacked in dancing and singing skills. She faked her way through auditions and personality, alone, got her the part. Later, when it came down to doing the choreography, Dinah remained conveniently hidden in the background.
    • Quotes
      I am my father's daughter: I have his language, his expressions.

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