Dinah Manoff

Dinah Manoff Bio

Dinah Manoff (born January 25, 1956) is an American stage, film, and television actress and television director. She is best known for her roles as Carol Weston on the NBC sitcom Empty Nest, Elaine Lefkowitz on the ABC sitcom Soap, Marty Maraschino in the 1978 film Grease, and Libby Tucker in both the Broadway and film versions of I Ought to Be in Pictures. Across more than four decades in the entertainment industry, Manoff has earned recognition for her comedic timing, dramatic range, and willingness to move between theater, cinema, and television. Her Tony Award win early in her career helped establish her as a respected performer, and she later expanded her craft by directing episodes of television.

Early Life and Background

Dinah Manoff was born on January 25, 1956, in New York City, New York, United States. She was raised in an Ashkenazi Jewish family with deep roots in the entertainment industry. Her mother is the actress, director, and writer Lee Grant, born Lyova Rosenthal, whose family had Polish and Ukrainian Jewish heritage. Her father is the screenwriter Arnold Manoff, born Pismenoff, whose own parents had emigrated from Vilnius. Through her parents, Dinah grew up surrounded by writers, actors, and filmmakers who shaped her early understanding of the craft.

Manoff has a half-brother, Tom Manoff, who became a classical music critic for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and a notable composer. Her stepfather is the producer Joseph Feury. She spent her childhood and teenage years in New York City and later in Malibu, California. She attended the New Lincoln School in New York and Santa Monica High School in California. She went on to study at the Actors Studio, a renowned training ground for actors in the United States.

Path to Acting

Growing up in a household connected to film and theater gave Dinah Manoff early exposure to the performing arts. Her mother’s career in Hollywood and her father’s work as a screenwriter provided a practical view of how stories were brought to life on screen and stage. The family environment made the idea of a career in acting feel both natural and accessible.

Manoff’s formal training began in earnest at the Actors Studio, where she refined her technique alongside other aspiring performers. Her first professional project came in 1975, when she provided a voice for the animated independent film Everybody Rides the Carousel. The following year, in 1976, she made her first television appearance in the PBS production of The Stronger. These early credits gave her a foothold in the industry and prepared her for the breakthrough roles that would soon follow.

Dinah Manoff Career

Early Career (1975-1979)

Manoff’s first notable work was her voice role in the 1975 animated film Everybody Rides the Carousel. In 1976, she appeared on PBS in The Stronger, which was followed by guest spots on Welcome Back, Kotter and the series Visions. In 1977, she made a brief appearance in the television movie Raid on Entebbe, and in 1978 she played Mara on the television series Family.

That same year, 1978, Manoff landed the role of Elaine Dallas, born Lefkowitz, on the ABC sitcom Soap, where she remained through the end of the year. She also made her feature film debut in 1978 as Marty Maraschino, one of the Pink Ladies, in the movie musical Grease. The film became a major cultural touchstone and helped introduce Manoff to a wide audience.

Breakthrough (1980-1989)

In 1980, Dinah Manoff made her Broadway debut as Libby Tucker in Neil Simon’s play I Ought to Be in Pictures. Her performance earned her two major honors: the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and the Theatre World Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. She later reprised the role for the 1982 film adaptation alongside Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. Also in 1980, she appeared as Karen, the suicidal friend of Timothy Hutton’s character, in the multiple Academy Award-winning drama Ordinary People.

In 1985, Manoff portrayed the songwriter Ellie Greenwich in the Broadway jukebox musical Leader of the Pack. In 1988, she played Maggie Peterson in Child’s Play, becoming the first character to be killed by the murderous doll Chucky. Later that year, she began a seven-year run as Carol Weston on the NBC sitcom Empty Nest, a spin-off of The Golden Girls, appearing in every episode of the series. In 1989, she took on small roles in the films Bloodhounds of Broadway and Staying Together.

In 1989, Manoff also appeared on The Golden Girls in a guest role that helped tie the two sitcom universes together. Her work on Empty Nest made her a familiar face on American television and remains one of her most recognized performances.

Notable Works and Milestones

Across her career, Dinah Manoff has built a varied résumé that includes Grease, Ordinary People, I Ought to Be in Pictures, Child’s Play, Empty Nest, and The Golden Girls. Her Tony Award win remains a defining milestone, and her long run on Empty Nest cemented her status as a reliable comedic lead. She later expanded into directing, taking the helm of episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Empty Nest itself.

Dinah Manoff Award Nominations

Dinah Manoff’s career has brought her recognition from several major industry bodies. Her most prominent nomination came from the Tony Awards for her Broadway debut in Neil Simon’s I Ought to Be in Pictures, which she ultimately won. Beyond the Tony, she also received the Theatre World Award for the same performance, an honor given to outstanding newcomers in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

Dinah Manoff Awards Won

Dinah Manoff has earned two major stage honors for her work in I Ought to Be in Pictures. In 1980, she won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play, and she also received the Theatre World Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. These wins marked her as one of the promising new voices of her generation on Broadway.

Dinah Manoff Family

Dinah Manoff comes from a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry. Her mother, Lee Grant, is a respected actress, director, and writer, and her father, Arnold Manoff, was a screenwriter. Through her mother, Dinah has a half-brother, Tom Manoff, who works as a classical music critic for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and is also a composer. Her stepfather is the producer Joseph Feury.

In 2001, Dinah and her mother Lee Grant appeared together in The Amati Girls, the only theatrically released film in which mother and daughter have shared the screen. The experience reflected the close ties between the Manoff and Grant families and their shared connection to storytelling.

Personal Life

Since 1997, Dinah Manoff has been married to the realtor Arthur Mortell. The couple makes their home on Bainbridge Island, Washington. They have three sons together: Dashiell Mortell and the twins Desi Mortell and Oliver Mortell. In January 2017, the family suffered a tragic loss when Dashiell Mortell was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 19.