# Marissa Jaret Winokur
**Marissa Jaret Winokur** (born 1973, New York City) is an American actress and singer best known for originating the role of Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical *[Hairspray](https://www.edgepedia.org/hairspray-musical)*, for which she won the 2003 [Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-award-for-best-actress-in-a-musical), along with the Drama Desk Award, Theatre World Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award.[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marissa-jaret-winokur-96206) • [2](https://playbill.com/person/marissa-jaret-winokur-vault-0000067477) Sometimes credited as Marissa Winokur, she has since worked in film, television, and reality TV, and in recent years has returned to *Hairspray* as a director.[3](https://hairspray.fandom.com/wiki/Marissa_Jaret_Winokur)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, New York City; grandniece of writer Nathanael West and humorist S. J. Perelman[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marissa-jaret-winokur-96206) |
| Signature role | Tracy Turnblad, original Broadway cast of *Hairspray* (July 18, 2002 to August 10, 2003)[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marissa-jaret-winokur-96206) |
| 2003 awards | Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award, Theatre World Award, Outer Critics Circle Award[2](https://playbill.com/person/marissa-jaret-winokur-vault-0000067477) |
| Broadway credits | *Grease* revival (1994, as Jan), *Hairspray* original production, with return engagements in 2005 and 2008-09[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marissa-jaret-winokur-96206) |
| Reality TV | Final four on season 6 of *Dancing with the Stars* (2008); winner of *Celebrity Big Brother* (2018)[4](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/marissa-jaret-winokur/profile/) |
| Spouse | Comedy writer Judah Miller, married October 7, 2006; one son, Zev[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935441) |
## Early life and training
Winokur grew up in [Westchester County, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/westchester-county-new-york), raised in Bedford Village by an architect father and a schoolteacher mother. She was the youngest of four siblings, was a cheerleader, and captained the soccer team at Fox Lane High School.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur/) • [7](https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/marissa-jaret-winokur/) She trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, graduating in 1993, and made her first television appearance that same year as a "Dork Dancer" on *Step by Step*.[7](https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/marissa-jaret-winokur/)
**Stage beginnings.** In 1994 she toured with the national company of *Grease*, then joined the Broadway revival as Pink Lady Jan, her Broadway debut.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur/) • [1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marissa-jaret-winokur-96206) Finding few Broadway roles for an 18-year-old character actress, she moved to Los Angeles and took small film and television parts, in *American Beauty* (1999), *Never Been Kissed* (1999), *Scary Movie* (2000), and guest appearances on *Moesha*, *Dharma & Greg*, and *Curb Your Enthusiasm*.[8](https://playbill.com/article/youve-never-seen-this-before-saidhairsprays-marissa-jaret-winokur-on-the-summer-hit-of-2002-com-357319) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur/)
## Hairspray
Winokur's path to Tracy Turnblad began with *American Beauty*. Director [Rob Marshall](https://www.edgepedia.org/rob-marshall) remembered her brief part as a fast food counter employee and recommended her to the team developing a musical adaptation of [John Waters](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-waters)'s 1988 film *Hairspray*.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur/) She was the very first actress to audition for the lead, singing for composer [Marc Shaiman](https://www.edgepedia.org/marc-shaiman) in his Los Angeles home studio.[8](https://playbill.com/article/youve-never-seen-this-before-saidhairsprays-marissa-jaret-winokur-on-the-summer-hit-of-2002-com-357319) After a tryout at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, *Hairspray* opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on August 15, 2002 with a $12 million advance, directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, with Winokur and Harvey Fierstein leading the original cast.[9](https://www.warrickmusical.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2012_Hairspray_Printed_Program_Compressed.pdf)
The production became a hit, winning eight [Tony Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-awards), including Best Actress in a Musical for Winokur, who was 29 when the show opened.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur/) • [2](https://playbill.com/person/marissa-jaret-winokur-vault-0000067477) During the show's early development she learned she had cervical cancer; she told only her immediate family, fearing she would be replaced in the role, and made a full recovery while remaining in the cast.[7](https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/marissa-jaret-winokur/) She left the show on August 10, 2003, but returned twice: for a month in summer 2005, and for the final month of the run, from December 9, 2008 until the production closed on January 4, 2009, closing the show alongside Fierstein.[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marissa-jaret-winokur-96206) • [10](https://playbill.com/article/marissa-jaret-winokur-on-directing-a-hairspray-that-stars-her-best-friend) She has since returned to the material at the [Hollywood Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/hollywood-bowl), Carnegie Hall, and with a cameo in NBC's *Hairspray Live!* in 2016.[10](https://playbill.com/article/marissa-jaret-winokur-on-directing-a-hairspray-that-stars-her-best-friend)
## Screen and television work
After *Hairspray*, Winokur moved into television and film. She starred in and executive produced the ABC Family television movie *Beautiful Girl* (2003), appeared in *Fever Pitch* (2005), and co-starred as Katrina on the Pamela Anderson sitcom *Stacked*, which ran 19 episodes, five of which never aired.[7](https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/marissa-jaret-winokur/) • [11](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Marissa-Jaret-Winokur/) She competed on season 6 of *Dancing with the Stars* in 2008, reaching the semi-finals, and hosted Oxygen's dance and weight-loss competition *Dance Your Ass Off*, whose premiere was the most watched original series debut in the network's history.[4](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/marissa-jaret-winokur/profile/) • [12](https://www.laphil.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur) In 2010 she joined the original panel of the CBS daytime talk show *[The Talk](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-talk-talk-show)* as a correspondent, staying through 2011.[13](https://parade.com/40338/francarpentier/0922-marissa-jaret-winokur-the-talk/) • [14](https://playbill.com/article/where-are-the-stars-of-broadways-original-production-of-hairspray-now) She won the first season of *Celebrity Big Brother* in 2018, and her later screen credits include recurring roles as Charmaine in *What We Do in the Shadows* (2020 to 2024) and parts in *[Bupkis](https://www.edgepedia.org/bupkis-tv-series)* (2023) and *[Feel the Beat](https://www.edgepedia.org/feel-the-beat-film)* (2020).[4](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/marissa-jaret-winokur/profile/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935441)
Voice work has been a steady sideline, including characters on *King of the Hill*, *American Dad!*, and *Yo Gabba Gabba!*, along with *Shrek the Halls*.[11](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Marissa-Jaret-Winokur/) • [12](https://www.laphil.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur) She also appears on the original Broadway cast recording of *Hairspray* (2002) and on the 2007 film soundtrack.[15](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/winokur-mn0000829468)
## Return to the stage as director
In 2024 Winokur co-created, wrote, and directed the [Off-Broadway](https://www.edgepedia.org/off-broadway) musical *Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now* with her fellow original *Hairspray* stars [Kerry Butler](https://www.edgepedia.org/kerry-butler) and [Laura Bell Bundy](https://www.edgepedia.org/laura-bell-bundy), a Drama Desk-nominated show that the three have toured.[4](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/marissa-jaret-winokur/profile/) • [16](https://thewallis.org/storage/press_releases/thewallis/d750e4354f2ba3e5d472411a78af8cbaa17e1cb9.pdf) In October 2025 she directed a *Hairspray* revival for 5-Star Theatricals at the Scherr Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks, California, running October 10 to 26, her first time directing the musical.[10](https://playbill.com/article/marissa-jaret-winokur-on-directing-a-hairspray-that-stars-her-best-friend) • [17](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/ca/california/entertainment/2025/10/16/tony-winner-marissa-jaret-winokur-revisits-hairspray--this-time-as-director) She cast her longtime friend Ryan O'Connor, whom she met backstage at *Hairspray*, as Edna Turnblad, and newcomer Lexie Martin as Tracy.[10](https://playbill.com/article/marissa-jaret-winokur-on-directing-a-hairspray-that-stars-her-best-friend) • [18](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Photos-Tony-Winner-Marissa-Jaret-Winokur-Directs-HAIRSPRAY-at-5-Star-Theatricals-20251012) In interviews about the production she has emphasized the show's civil-rights storyline, saying the familiar songs and colorful characters are a "Trojan horse" for its message about integration.[17](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/ca/california/entertainment/2025/10/16/tony-winner-marissa-jaret-winokur-revisits-hairspray--this-time-as-director)
Winokur has also worked as an advocate connected to her cancer history, supporting Stand Up 2 Cancer and appearing in the Prevent Cancer Foundation's Times Square campaign.[12](https://www.laphil.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur) • [19](https://www.preventcancer.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018_PCF_annual_report_web.pdf)
## References
1. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marissa-jaret-winokur-96206)
2. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, Playbill Vault](https://playbill.com/person/marissa-jaret-winokur-vault-0000067477)
3. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, Hairspray Wiki](https://hairspray.fandom.com/wiki/Marissa_Jaret_Winokur)
4. [Marissa Jaret Winokur Biography, Broadway.com](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/marissa-jaret-winokur/profile/)
5. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935441)
6. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur/)
7. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, Masterworks Broadway](https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/marissa-jaret-winokur/)
8. ["You've Never Seen This Before," Said Hairspray's Marissa Jaret Winokur on the Summer Hit of 2002, Playbill](https://playbill.com/article/youve-never-seen-this-before-saidhairsprays-marissa-jaret-winokur-on-the-summer-hit-of-2002-com-357319)
9. [Hairspray program notes, Warrick Musical Theatre](https://www.warrickmusical.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2012_Hairspray_Printed_Program_Compressed.pdf)
10. [Marissa Jaret Winokur on Directing a Hairspray That Stars Her Best Friend, Playbill](https://playbill.com/article/marissa-jaret-winokur-on-directing-a-hairspray-that-stars-her-best-friend)
11. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Marissa-Jaret-Winokur/)
12. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, LA Phil](https://www.laphil.com/people/marissa-jaret-winokur)
13. [Marissa Jaret Winokur Is Ready For a New View on 'The Talk', Parade](https://parade.com/40338/francarpentier/0922-marissa-jaret-winokur-the-talk/)
14. [Where Are the Stars of Broadway's Original Production of Hairspray Now?, Playbill](https://playbill.com/article/where-are-the-stars-of-broadways-original-production-of-hairspray-now)
15. [Marissa Jaret Winokur, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/winokur-mn0000829468)
16. [The Wallis 2024/2025 season press release](https://thewallis.org/storage/press_releases/thewallis/d750e4354f2ba3e5d472411a78af8cbaa17e1cb9.pdf)
17. [Tony-winner Marissa Jaret Winokur revisits 'Hairspray,' this time as director, Spectrum News](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/ca/california/entertainment/2025/10/16/tony-winner-marissa-jaret-winokur-revisits-hairspray--this-time-as-director)
18. [Photos: Tony-Winner Marissa Jaret Winokur Directs HAIRSPRAY at 5-Star Theatricals, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Photos-Tony-Winner-Marissa-Jaret-Winokur-Directs-HAIRSPRAY-at-5-Star-Theatricals-20251012)
19. [Prevent Cancer Foundation 2018 annual report](https://www.preventcancer.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018_PCF_annual_report_web.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Wh to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license