Marissa Jaret Winokur is perhaps best known for creating the iconic role of Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical Hairspray, for which she won a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. She was crowned the winner of the inaugural season of Celebrity Big Brother and danced her way into the hearts of America on the hit series Dancing with the Stars, making it all the way to the Final 4.
Marissa’s new Netflix movie A Dog’s Perfect Christmas, starring alongside Denis Quaid and Mary Steenburgen, will be out fall 2026.
In the theater she just starred in Alex Timbers’ critically acclaimed Batboy at City Center and a new comedy by Matthew Lombardo When Playwrights Kill, alongside Beth Leavel, Kevin Chamberlin and Matt Doyle. She is currently touring the country with her hit Off-Broadway musical Mama I’m a Big Girl Now, which she co-created, directed, wrote, and produced with Laura Bell Bundy and Kerry Butler. Following a sold-out and extended run, the show received rave reviews and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.
Recently, Marissa has shifted into directing. She just finished putting up Hairspray (full company) at the Scherr Forum Theatre at Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, starring Garrett Clayton. The comedy she directed, Ice Cats, was a breakout hit at the LA Fringe Festival and is now in television development. Her next directing endeavor is the stage production The Radium Girls—a female-driven, horror-infused dark comedy inspired by the true story of the factory workers at the U.S. Radium Corporation in the 1920s. She just completed directing her first feature film, Bali High, a romantic traumedy starring Ashley Argota and Mick Torres. She loves LA theater and directed the hit musical parody Bridesmaids, Ryan O’Connor’s Eat, Pray, Vote, and John Hill’s Wellness Check.
As an actress, she can currently be seen in recurring roles on several hit shows, including Emmy-nominated What We Do in the Shadows, Bupkis, So Help Me Todd, and Clone High. On Netflix, she stars in the family musical Feel the Beat and the comedy The Trouble. She returned to the Hollywood Bowl to star in Kinky Boots alongside Wayne Brady, and Beauty and the Beast with Rebel Wilson and Taye Diggs.
Marissa began her career on Broadway in Tommy Tune’s production of Grease!. She has hosted numerous talk shows, including The Talk, The View, Dance Your Ass Off, All About Sex, and Off the Block with Ross and Marissa.
Her television credits span a wide range of fan-favorite series, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Girls, Crashing, Playing House, A Million Little Things, Perfect Harmony, Stacked, and Retired at 35. She has voiced characters on hundreds of animated shows, including American Dad!, King of the Hill, The Cleveland Show, Yo Gabba Gabba!, and Shrek the Halls.
Marissa and her husband, comedy writer Judah Miller, split their time between New York and Los Angeles with their son Zev (when he’s not playing tennis) and their two labradoodles. A cancer survivor, Marissa is passionate about educating women on cancer awareness and works closely with Stand Up To Cancer.
