Marissa Jaret Winokur

Marissa Jaret Winokur (born February 2, 1973 in New York City) is an American actress and singer best known for originating the role of Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway sensation Hairspray. Raised by teacher Maxine and architect Michael Winokur, she grew up in Bedford, New York, where she captained her high‑school soccer team, cheered at football games, and later honed her craft at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, graduating in 1993. Her Broadway debut came in the 1994 revival of Grease, but it was the 2002‑2004 run of Hairspray that earned her a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, alongside Drama Desk, Theatre World and Outer Critics Circle honors. Beyond the stage, Winokur built a diverse television résumé with guest spots on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, Just Shoot Me! and Dharma & Greg, and she co‑starred with Pamela Anderson in the sitcom Stacked. She also appeared in films such as American Beauty, Never Been Kissed, Scary Movie and provided a voice for the holiday special Shrek the Halls. In 2006 she competed on Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars, later hosting the fitness competition Dance Your Ass Off and serving as a co‑host on the daytime talk show The Talk from 2010 to 2011 before departing to focus on her clothing line and new TV projects. Winokur’s reality‑TV presence continued with a victory on the first American season of Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, and she later co‑hosted the online series Off the Block with Ross and Marissa. Her personal life includes a marriage to writer Judah Miller in 2006, the birth of their son Zev via surrogate in 2008, and a courageous battle with cervical cancer during the early development of Hairspray, from which she made a full recovery. In 2025 she is scheduled to return to the stage in Bat Boy: The Musical at New York City Center, demonstrating her continued passion for performance.