Marissa Jaret Winokur
Encyclopedia
Marissa Jaret Winokur sometimes credited as Marissa Winokur, is an American
actress known for her performance as Tracy Turnblad in the highly successful Broadway
musical
adaptation of John Waters
' film Hairspray
, 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
. Most recently she was serving as a co-host on the daily daytime talk show The Talk
, but will not be returning in 2011. Instead she will focus on her clothing line and a new cable TV show.
, 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
. She later studied at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, graduating from the integrated program.
, Drama Desk Award
, Theatre World Award
, and Outer Critics Circle Award
for her performance in Hairspray
. After she started her run in Hairspray, Winokur was diagnosed with cancer, but she informed none of her cast-mates or any of the members of the crew to prevent them from worrying about her. She underwent the surgery later in 2003; after her recovery and declaration of being cancer-free, she was healthy enough to return to Broadway. It is said that while traveling to and from her cancer surgery she sang "Good Morning Baltimore," one of the musical's show-stoppers. She made her first appearance on Broadway after successfully undergoing cancer treatment. She had previously appeared on Broadway as "Pink Lady Jan" in the revival of Grease
.
Winokur has also played roles in films such as American Beauty, Never Been Kissed
, Teaching Mrs. Tingle
, the send-up Scary Movie
, Beautiful Girl
(for ABC Family
), Fever Pitch, and Fugly, and she provided one of the voices in Shrek the Halls
, a CGI-animated holiday-oriented film.
Winokur co-starred in the TV series Stacked, which starred Pamela Anderson
. Stacked ran for only 19 episodes, five of which were never shown on air. She also appeared on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm
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."
Marissa was set to star in a new comedy pilot for CBS
titled Fugly, from the creator of My Name Is Earl
. The show was originally pitched to FOX
as a vehicle for Pamela Anderson, but was turned down in favor of Stacked. It was later revamped into a television film and aired to poor reviews in 2007.
She returned to Hairspray
on December 9, 2008 and played Tracy until the show's closing on January 4, 2009.
Winokur hosted the reality competition series Dance Your Ass Off
on the Oxygen Network, in which duties former Spice Girls
member Melanie Janine "Mel B" Brown succeeded her. It was similar to the set-up of Dancing with the Stars
, but the contestants were also trying to lose weight, and they gained points on how good their dance performances were for that night. The contestants danced in front of three judges, Mayte Garcia (the ex-wife of Prince), Lisa Ann Walter, and Danny Teason. After these three judged the contestants's performances for the night and their total weight loss for that week was measured, the two scores were totaled and then averaged. The contestant with the lowest amount of points was sent home.
Winokur is scheduled to appear in the upcoming documentary Broadway: The Next Generation, and 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 is intended to focus on stories of parenting, everyday life and events in the headlines. Essentially, what is meant to distinguish The Talk from The View is that all six of its hostesses were mothers and that The Talk is intended not to be as political as The View could sometimes become. Segments of the show are also slated to have celebrity guests. The program began airing on CBS
October 18, 2010. On January 14, 2011, she announced via People Magazine that she would be leaving The Talk to focus on her clothing line and a new cable TV show she was developing.
She will reprise the role of Tracy Turnblad in the Hollywood Bowl
production of Hairspray, which will run from August 5-7, 2011.
Winokur has joined the cast of Retired at 35
beginning from the second season. She will play Amy, David’s sister, a sharp-tongued, quick-witted successful saleswoman for a pharmaceutical company with a bubbly personality.
.
She performs "The Wish Song" on the 2006 charity album Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars
.
In 2007, Winokur 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
.
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 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.
. 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.
Winokur married Judah Miller, who was a writer on Stacked
, on October 7, 2006. In March 2008, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child, a boy to be named Zev, via a surrogate mother and that the pregnancy was five months along. 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
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress known for her performance as Tracy Turnblad in the highly successful Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
adaptation of John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
' film Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
, as well as her work on the Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
sitcom Stacked
Stacked
Stacked is an American television sitcom that premiered on Fox on April 13, 2005. On May 18, 2006, Stacked was canceled, leaving five episodes unaired in the United States. The last episode aired on January 11, 2006...
. Some of her other TV Credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
, Moesha
Moesha
Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
, The Steve Harvey Show
The Steve Harvey Show
The Steve Harvey Show is an American sitcom that aired for six seasons from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002 on The WB Television Network. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.-Synopsis:...
, Just Shoot Me!
Just Shoot Me!
Just Shoot Me! is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from March 4, 1997 to August 16, 2003, with 148 episodes produced. The show was created by Steven Levitan, the show's executive producer.-Description:...
, Felicity, and Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
. She was a contestant on the popular reality competition series Dancing With the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
and went on to host the similar Dance Your Ass Off
Dance Your Ass Off
Dance Your Ass Off is a reality competition series on the Oxygen Network hosted by Marissa Jaret Winokur in the first season, then Melanie Brown in season two...
. Most recently she was serving as a co-host on the daily daytime talk show The Talk
The Talk (U.S. TV series)
The Talk is a talk show created by actress Sara Gilbert, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime...
, but will not be returning in 2011. Instead she will focus on her clothing line and a new cable TV show.
Early life
Winokur was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the daughter of Maxine, a teacher, and Michael Winokur, an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. She is Jewish. Winokur was a cheerleader
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
and captain of her high school soccer team at Fox Lane High School
Fox Lane High School
Fox Lane High School is a public secondary school located in the town of Bedford, New York. It is named after the road, Fox Lane, that begins just to the side of the school's driveway. Fox Lane is considered to be one of Westchester County's top public high schools, noted for its commitment to...
. She later studied at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, graduating from the integrated program.
Stage, screen and television
Winokur won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a MusicalTony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is the Tony Awards award given to the actress who was voted as the best leading actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival...
, Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
, Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, 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.-History:...
, and Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
for her performance in Hairspray
Hairspray
Hairspray may refer to:* Hair spray, a personal grooming product* Hairspray , a film by John Waters** Hairspray , the film's soundtrack album* Hairspray , a stage musical based on the original film...
. After she started her run in Hairspray, Winokur was diagnosed with cancer, but she informed none of her cast-mates or any of the members of the crew to prevent them from worrying about her. She underwent the surgery later in 2003; after her recovery and declaration of being cancer-free, she was healthy enough to return to Broadway. It is said that while traveling to and from her cancer surgery she sang "Good Morning Baltimore," one of the musical's show-stoppers. She made her first appearance on Broadway after successfully undergoing cancer treatment. She had previously appeared on Broadway as "Pink Lady Jan" in the revival of Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
.
Winokur has also played roles in films such as American Beauty, Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed is a 1999 comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell and starring Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon, Leelee Sobieski, John C. Reilly, Jessica Alba, Marley Shelton, James Franco , Giuseppe Andrews, Jeremy Jordan and Garry Marshall...
, Teaching Mrs. Tingle
Teaching Mrs. Tingle
Teaching Mrs. Tingle is a 1999 black comedy film and the directing debut of screenwriter Kevin Williamson. The film stars Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Marisa Coughlan, Barry Watson and Jeffrey Tambor and was released on August 20, 1999. It was originally titled Killing Mrs...
, the send-up Scary Movie
Scary Movie
Scary Movie is a 2000 comedy-parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which heavily parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres...
, Beautiful Girl
Beautiful Girl (film)
Beautiful Girl is a 2003 film directed by Douglas Barr and starring Marissa Jaret Winokur, Mark Consuelos and Fran Drescher with Greg Gugliotta as Executive Producer...
(for ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
), Fever Pitch, and Fugly, and she provided one of the voices in Shrek the Halls
Shrek the Halls
Shrek the Halls is a television special that premiered on the American television network ABC on Wednesday, November 28, 2007. The thirty minute Christmas special included the following: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas reprising their roles from the feature films. The...
, a CGI-animated holiday-oriented film.
Winokur co-starred in the TV series Stacked, which starred Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
. Stacked ran for only 19 episodes, five of which were never shown on air. She also appeared on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
where she lost a physical fight with Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
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."
Marissa was set to star in a new comedy pilot for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
titled Fugly, from the creator of My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
. The show was originally pitched to FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
as a vehicle for Pamela Anderson, but was turned down in favor of Stacked. It was later revamped into a television film and aired to poor reviews in 2007.
She returned to Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
on December 9, 2008 and played Tracy until the show's closing on January 4, 2009.
Winokur hosted the reality competition series Dance Your Ass Off
Dance Your Ass Off
Dance Your Ass Off is a reality competition series on the Oxygen Network hosted by Marissa Jaret Winokur in the first season, then Melanie Brown in season two...
on the Oxygen Network, in which duties former Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
member Melanie Janine "Mel B" Brown succeeded her. It was similar to the set-up of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
, but the contestants were also trying to lose weight, and they gained points on how good their dance performances were for that night. The contestants danced in front of three judges, Mayte Garcia (the ex-wife of Prince), Lisa Ann Walter, and Danny Teason. After these three judged the contestants's performances for the night and their total weight loss for that week was measured, the two scores were totaled and then averaged. The contestant with the lowest amount of points was sent home.
Winokur is scheduled to appear in the upcoming documentary Broadway: The Next Generation, and in October 2010 she joined Julie Chen
Julie Chen
Julie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
, Holly Robinson Peete, Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
, Leah Remini
Leah Remini
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
, and Sara Gilbert
Sara Gilbert
Sara Gilbert is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner from 1988–1997 in the U.S. sitcom Roseanne.-Early life:Gilbert was born Sara Rebecca Abeles in Santa Monica, California. Her parents are Barbara Crane and Harold Abeles. Her two older siblings, Melissa Gilbert and...
in a new talk show, The Talk
The Talk (U.S. TV series)
The Talk is a talk show created by actress Sara Gilbert, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime...
, that is intended to focus on stories of parenting, everyday life and events in the headlines. Essentially, what is meant to distinguish The Talk from The View is that all six of its hostesses were mothers and that The Talk is intended not to be as political as The View could sometimes become. Segments of the show are also slated to have celebrity guests. The program began airing on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
October 18, 2010. On January 14, 2011, she announced via People Magazine that she would be leaving The Talk to focus on her clothing line and a new cable TV show she was developing.
She will reprise the role of Tracy Turnblad in the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
production of Hairspray, which will run from August 5-7, 2011.
Winokur has joined the cast of Retired at 35
Retired at 35
Retired at 35 is an American sitcom currently airing on TV Land starring George Segal, Jessica Walter, Johnathan McClain, Josh McDermitt, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Ryan Michelle Bathe. The series premiered on January 19, 2011...
beginning from the second season. She will play Amy, David’s sister, a sharp-tongued, quick-witted successful saleswoman for a pharmaceutical company with a bubbly personality.
Recording and voice work
Winokur is working on recording a children's music album. Her rendition of the song "Baby Face" is featured on the soundtrack for the film Son of the MaskSon of the Mask
Son of the Mask is a 2005 American fantasy family-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman, starring Jamie Kennedy as Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist from Fringe City who has just had his first child born with the powers of the Mask. It is the stand-alone sequel to the successful 1994 film The...
.
She performs "The Wish Song" on the 2006 charity album Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars
Unexpected Dreams
Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars is a 2006 compilation album featuring various actors singing lullabies and other songs.-Album information:...
.
In 2007, Winokur joined Nikki Blonsky and Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from...
in singing "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" on the Hairspray soundtrack
Hairspray (2007 soundtrack)
-2-disc Collector's edition:A limited edition two-disc version of the Hairspray soundtrack was released on November 20, 2007, the same day as the film's DVD/Blu-Ray release...
; in director John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
'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
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
.
Dancing with the Stars
Winokur is featured on Season 6 of Dancing With the StarsDancing with the Stars (U.S. season 6)
The sixth season of Dancing with the Stars premiered on March 17, 2008; the first results show was a double-elimination episode airing on March 25, 2008. The show followed the format of previous seasons, with 12 couples....
with professional dancer Tony Dovolani
Tony Dovolani
Driton "Tony" Dovolani is an Albanian-American professional ballroom dancer, instructor and judge based in New York City. He is known for his involvement in the American version of Dancing with the Stars on ABC. Dovolani also portrayed a Latin bad boy in the hit film Shall We Dance? and spent time...
. 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
Monica Seles
Monica Seles is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was born in Novi Sad, Serbia, former Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994 and also received Hungarian citizenship in June 2007...
was eliminated. In week three, Marissa scored 19 for her Jive to Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
'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
Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons...
and Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
by one point and Cristian de la Fuente
Cristián de la Fuente
Cristián de la Fuente Sabarots is a Chilean-American actor.-Early life:De la Fuente was born in Santiago, Chile, as the only child of chemist Hugo de la Fuente and Adriana Sabarots, a homemaker of French descent...
by 6 points. Despite being third 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/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha Cha-cha-cha (dance) The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953... / "Low Low (Flo Rida song) "Low" is the debut single by American rapper Flo Rida, featured on his debut album Mail On Sunday and also featured on the soundtrack to the 2008 film Step Up 2: The Streets. The song features T-Pain and was co-written with T-Pain. There is also a remix in which the hook is sung by Flo Rida rather... " |
6 | 6 | 6 | N/A |
| 2 | Quickstep Quickstep The quickstep is a light-hearted member of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal and informal events... / "Flip, Flop and Fly Big Joe Turner Big Joe Turner was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Although he came to his greatest fame in the 1950s with his pioneering rock and roll recordings, particularly "Shake, Rattle and... " |
7 | 7 | 7 | Bottom two |
| 3 | Jive Jive (dance) In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance... / "Girlfriend Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne song) "Girlfriend" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. The song was written by Lavigne with her producer Dr. Luke for Lavigne's third studio album, The Best Damn Thing . "Girlfriend" was released as the lead single from The Best Damn Thing on 27 February 2007... " |
6 | 7 | 6 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble/ "My Family Is My Life James Horner James Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements... " |
8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba/ "Tambourine Tambourine (song) "Tambourine" is a hip hop song written by Eve, Swizz Beatz, and Sean Garrett for Eve's fourth studio album Lip Lock. The song samples "Blow Your Whistle" from The Soul Searchers. It was released as the album's lead single in 2007 , becoming Eve's first charting single as a lead performer in over... " |
8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz Viennese Waltz Viennese Waltz is the genre of a ballroom dance. At least three different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, danced to the music of Viennese Waltz.What is now called... / "Delilah Delilah (1968 song) "Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. It was written by Barry Mason, with music by Les Reed.-Success:It reached No 1 in the charts of several countries including Germany and Switzerland. It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth best selling... " |
9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 7 | Tango Tango (ballroom) Ballroom Tango is a ballroom dance that branched away from its original Argentine roots by allowing European, American, Hollywood, and competitive influences into the style and execution of the dance.... / "Champagne Tango Carlos di Sarli Carlos Di Sarli was an Argentine tango musician, orchestra leader, composer and pianist.- Early years :Carlos di Sarli was born at 511 Buenos Aires street in the town of Bahia Blanca, located in Southern Argentina... " Rumba Rumba (dance) Rumba is a dance term with two quite different meanings.In some contexts, "rumba" is used as shorthand for Afro-Cuban rumba, a group of dances related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. The most common Afro-Cuban rumba is the guaguancó... / "When, When, When" |
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9 8 |
Bottom Two |
| 8 | Foxtrot/ "New York, New York Theme from New York, New York "Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli... " Mambo Mambo (dance) Mambo .In the late 1940s, Perez Prado came up with the dance for the mambo music and became the first person to market his music as "mambo". After Havana, Prado moved his music to Mexico, where his music and the dance was adopted. The original mambo dance was characterized by freedom and... / "Ritmo De Chunga Perez Prado Dámaso Pérez Prado was a Cuban bandleader, musician , and composer. He is often referred to as the 'King of the Mambo'.His orchestra was the most popular in mambo... " |
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8 8 |
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Safe |
| 9 Semi-finals |
Quickstep Quickstep The quickstep is a light-hearted member of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal and informal events... / "Around the World Around the World (1956 song) "Around the World" was the theme tune from the 1956 movie Around the World in 80 Days It never actually featured with the lyrics in the Around the World in Eighty Days film, but it is the vocal version which has by far become the better known... " Rumba Rumba (dance) Rumba is a dance term with two quite different meanings.In some contexts, "rumba" is used as shorthand for Afro-Cuban rumba, a group of dances related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. The most common Afro-Cuban rumba is the guaguancó... / "Just the Two of Us" |
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9 9 |
8 9 |
Eliminated |
Personal life
During the early development stages of Hairspray, Winokur was diagnosed with cervical cancerCervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
. 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.
Winokur married Judah Miller, who was a writer on Stacked
Stacked
Stacked is an American television sitcom that premiered on Fox on April 13, 2005. On May 18, 2006, Stacked was canceled, leaving five episodes unaired in the United States. The last episode aired on January 11, 2006...
, on October 7, 2006. In March 2008, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child, a boy to be named Zev, via a surrogate mother and that the pregnancy was five months along. 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
S. J. Perelman
Sidney Joseph Perelman, almost always known as S. J. Perelman , was an American humorist, author, and screenwriter. He is best known for his humorous short pieces written over many years for The New Yorker...
and Nathanael West
Nathanael West
Nathanael West was a US author, screenwriter and satirist.- Early life :...
.