Marissa Jaret Winokur (born February 2, 1973), sometimes credited as Marissa Winokur, is an American actress and singer known for her Tony-winning performance as Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical Hairspray, an adaptation of John Waters's film, as well as her work on the Pamela Anderson sitcom Stacked. Some of her other TV credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, Just Shoot Me!, Felicity and Dharma & Greg.
She was a contestant on the popular reality competition series Dancing with the Stars and went on to host the similar Dance Your Ass Off. From 2010-2011 she served as a co-host on the daily daytime talk show The Talk, ultimately leaving to focus on her clothing line and a new cable TV show. The cable TV show in question, when it premiered, proved to be a late-night talk show titled All About Sex, whose co-hosting duties she shared with Margaret Cho, Heather McDonald, and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry, which aired on TLC at 11:00 PM Eastern time on Saturday nights.
In 2018, Winokur participated in the first American season of Celebrity Big Brother, where she was crowned the winner.Bloom, Mike. "Celebrity Big Brother: Melissa Jaret Winkour Takes A Bow" "Parade," February 26, 2018
Early life and education Winokur was born in New York City, the daughter of Maxine, a teacher, and Michael Winokur, an architect. She is Jewish. Winokur was a cheerleader and captain of her high school soccer team at Fox Lane High School in Bedford, New York.Pogrebin, Robin. "Big Hair and Personality to Match; For a Young Actress's Career, A Bouffant Moment in 'Hairspray'" The New York Times, August 21, 2002 She graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 1993."Marissa Jaret Winokur", Masterworksbroadway.com, retrieved February 12, 2018
Career Stage, screen and television Winokur won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award, Theatre World Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in Hairspray. She had previously appeared on Broadway as Jan in the 1994 revival of Grease.
Winokur has also played roles in films such as American Beauty, Never Been Kissed, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Scary Movie, Beautiful Girl (for ABC Family), Fever Pitch, and she provided one of the voices in Shrek the Halls.
Winokur co-starred in the TV series Stacked, which starred Pamela Anderson. She also appeared on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 1, Episode 5) where she lost a physical fight with Larry David over the first appointment at a doctor's office. She was called "Marissa Winokur" in the episode, but was credited simply as "Woman In Elevator." She played the role of Theresa Loman on the UPN top-hit series, Moesha, as Brandy Norwood’s roommate.
She was set to star in a new comedy pilot for CBS titled Fugly, from Greg Garcia, the creator of My Name Is Earl.Hernandez, Ernio. "Tony Award winner Marissa Jaret Winokur has been cast in the new CBS television comedy pilot "Fugly," according to The Hollywood Reporter." Playbill, February 27, 2007 The show was originally pitched to Fox as a vehicle for Pamela Anderson.Nellie Andreeva. "CBS likes look of Garcia's 'Fugly' pilot" Hollywood Reporter, December 1, 2006
She returned to Hairspray on December 9, 2008, and played Tracy until the show's closing on January 4, 2009.The Beat Goes On: Winokur Is Back as Tracy in Broadway's Hairspray
Winokur hosted the reality competition series Dance Your Ass Off on the Oxygen Network. In October 2010 she joined Julie Chen, Holly Robinson Peete, Sharon Osbourne, Leah Remini, and Sara Gilbert in a new talk show, The Talk, that was intended to focus on stories of parenting, everyday life and events in the headlines. The program began airing on CBS on October 18, 2010.Marissa Jaret Winokur, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne and More To Host New CBS Talk Show On January 14, 2011, she announced via People Magazine that she would leave The Talk to focus on her clothing line and a new cable TV show she was developing.
She reprised the role of Tracy Turnblad in the Hollywood Bowl production of Hairspray, which ran from August 5–7, 2011.Hollywood Bowl Hairspray to Feature Harvey Fierstein, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Drew Carey, Darlene Love, Nick Jonas She also had a role in Broadway's Grease.
Winokur joined the cast of TV Land's original sitcom Retired at 35, beginning in the second season. She acted out the role of Amy, David’s sister, a sharp-tongued, quick-witted successful saleswoman for a pharmaceutical company with a bubbly personality. The character was originated by Casey Wilson in the show's pilot, but made no other Season 1 appearances.
In 2017, Winokur competed with her son Zev on Big Star Little Star, a U.S. version of the British game show Big Star's Little Star.
In 2018, Winokur was cast as one of the houseguests on the first American edition of Celebrity Big Brother. She won Celebrity Big Brother over Ross Mathews on February 25, 2018, by a vote of 6-3. She also hosted Off the Block with Ross and Marissa on Facebook Watch.
In 2025, she’s returning to the stage in Bat Boy: The Musical as Mrs. Taylor at New York City Center, Off-Broadway.
Recording and voice work Winokur was working on recording a children's music album. Her rendition of the song "Baby Face" was featured on the soundtrack for the film Son of the Mask, and she performed "The Wish Song" on the 2006 charity album Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars. In 2007, she joined Nikki Blonsky and Ricki Lake in singing "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" on the Hairspray soundtrack; in director John Waters's original film, Lake had originated the role that Winokur (on stage) and Blonsky (on screen, in the film version of the musical) had respectively reprised, that of Tracy Turnblad.
Winokur has also lent her voice to several cartoon shows, including American Dad! and King of the Hill.
Dancing with the Stars Winokur was featured on Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Tony Dovolani. Marissa scored an 18 for her Cha-Cha-Cha her first week and 21 for her Quickstep in week two giving her a combined total of 39 out of 60. In that week's elimination, Marissa was the last female contestant to be saved before Monica Seles was eliminated. In week three, Marissa scored 19 for her Jive to Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend," placing her last on the leader board, but was saved from elimination by the viewer's votes. In week four, Marissa performed a Paso Doble and was praised for her improvements, scoring 24 out of 30. She scored a second 24 out of 30 for her Samba in week five. In week six, Marissa earned a 26 for a Viennese Waltz, her highest score so far. The following week was another success learning two dances, scoring a 27 for her Tango in the Ballroom round and in the Latin round she received 25 for her Rumba. Marissa came third on the combined total leader board with a score of 52 out of 60, beating Shannon Elizabeth and Mario by one point and Cristian de la Fuente by 6 points. Despite being third, however, Marissa found herself in the bottom two alongside Shannon. The following week Marissa performed a Foxtrot and Mambo scoring 25 for both dances scoring a total of 50 out of 60, placing her last on the leader board, but was again saved by the viewer's votes. During her last week on the show, she earned a 26 for both her Rumba and Quickstep. Winokur was eliminated after the semifinal round.
Performances Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Cha-cha-cha/"Low"666N/A2Quickstep/"Flip, Flop and Fly"777Last to be called safe3Jive/"Girlfriend"676Safe4Paso Doble/"My Family Is My Life"888Safe5Samba/"Tambourine"888Safe6Viennese Waltz/"Delilah"989Safe7Tango/"Champagne Tango"Rumba/"Quando, Quando, Quando"999898Bottom Two8Foxtrot/"New York, New York"Mambo/"Ritmo De Chunga"988889Safe9Semi-finalsQuickstep/"Around the World"Rumba/"Just the Two of Us"989989Eliminated
Personal life During the early development stages of Hairspray, Winokur was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She underwent treatment for the disease, without revealing her condition to anyone except her immediate family out of fear that she would be replaced in the musical. Ultimately she made a full recovery and remained in the show.
On October 7, 2006, Winokur married longtime boyfriend Judah Miller (brother to Murray Miller), who was a writer on Stacked. In March 2008, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child, a boy to be named Zev, via a gestational surrogate. Zev Isaac Miller was born July 22, 2008, weighing in at 8 pounds 7 ounces and measured 21 inches long. Winokur and Miller helped deliver their son.
She is the great-niece of two famous American writers: S. J. Perelman and Nathanael West.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes1999Never Been KissedSheila1999Teaching Mrs. TingleStudentUncredited1999American BeautyMr. Smiley's Senior Drive-thru Manager (Janine)2000Scary MovieTina the day player victim in the garage2001Amy's OrgasmRadio P.A.2002Now You KnowLea's Friend2005Fever PitchSarah2014Muffin Top: A Love StoryElise2018 A Very Nutty ChristmasRosa2019TroubleClaire (voice)2020 Feel the BeatHerself
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1995Step by StepDork Dancer1998The Steve Harvey ShowKimmie1998Malibu, CAMelody1999Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV ShowGlenda1999Get RealAnnie1999FelicityNancy1999City GuysMarcy Lake1999–2000Dharma & GregAnita2000Chicken Soup for the SoulBella2000MoeshaTheresa Loman2000Curb Your EnthusiasmWoman in Elevator2000Just Shoot Me!Dee Dee2001NikkiLizzy2001The Ellen ShowTina2001Boston PublicCourtney Schaffer2003Beautiful GirlBecca Wasserman2004Good Girls Don't...Mistress Persephone2005Higglytown HeroesTaxi Driver Hero (voice)2005Jack & BobbyMargaret2005–2006StackedKatrina2005–2018American Dad!Various voices2007Shrek the HallsBookstore Clerk (voice)2007–2008King of the HillVarious voices2010RuPaul's Drag RaceGuest Judge2010–2011The TalkHerself2011The Cleveland ShowFull-Sized Woman (voice)2011Shake It UpMs. Nancy2011Hot in ClevelandKim2011–2012Yo Gabba Gabba!Barbara2012Retired at 35Amy Robbins2012Guys with KidsLinda Allmendinger2013Bubble GuppiesMs. Jenny (voice)2013Major CrimesKaraoke Singer2013–2014Melissa & JoeyTheresa2014CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationPrincipal Dawn Meadows2014–2015Playing HouseCandy2016Scream QueensShelly2016Hairspray Live!Pinkette2016Not Today BiancaBecky2017GirlsPatty 2018Celebrity Big Brother (American TV series)Herself (Contestant)(winner)2018The Bold and the BeautifulWedding Planner2018–2019A Million Little ThingsLinda2018–2019CrashingGuinevere2019The GoldbergsEileen Leffler2019Liza on DemandHerself2019Perfect HarmonyBarb2020–2022What We Do in the ShadowsCharmaine6 episodes
Awards and nominations YearAward CategoryWorkResult2003Tony AwardBest Actress in a MusicalHairsprayDrama Desk AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalDrama League AwardDistinguished PerformanceOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalTheatre World Award
References
External links
Out.com interview American Cheerleader Magazine, February 2003