- Born
- Birth nameDinah Beth Manoff
- Height5′ 4″ (1.63 m)
- 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 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 Witt-Thomas-Harris' Soap (1977) 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. Manoff's feature film credits include Ordinary People (1980), Grease (1978), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), Child's Play (1988), _Backfire (1988).- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpousesArthur Mortell(1997 - present) (3 children)Jean-Marc Joubert(September 7, 1982 - 1987) (divorced)
- ChildrenDashiell Manoff MortellOliver MortellDesi Mortell
- Parents
- 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.
- Mother, with husband Arthur Mortell, of sons Dashiell Manoff Mortell (March 26, 1997 - January 7, 2017) and twins, Oliver Mortell and Desi Mortell (b. January 18, 2002).
- Won Broadway's 1980 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) for "I Ought to be in Pictures," a part she recreated in the film version of the same title, I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982).
- In 1975 (at age 19) Manoff was accepted into the Actors Studio.
- Had her first son Dashiell at age 41. Later she also had twin sons, Oliver and Desi, a week before her 46th birthday.
- I am my father's daughter: I have his language, his expressions.
- I started acting as a way to support myself.
- I remember unbelievable tension in our home. There were lots of meetings, lots of worries. I remember my father told me I had to be careful of what I said on the phone because it was tapped. And I remember how his friends adored and revered him.
- I'd grown up in a production company, but discovering the importance of the work, I realized I had something to bring here.
- I happen to think, really, that I'm good at what I do.
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