Debra Frances "Camryn" Manheim (born March 8, 1961)[2] is an American actress who first came to attention with her off-Broadway one-woman show, "Wake Up, I'm Fat", in 1994. She is known for her portrayals of Ellenor Frutt on The Practice (1997–2004), Delia BanksonGhost Whisperer (2006–2010), "Control" on Person of Interest (2013–2015), Lieutenant Cosgrove on Stumptown (2019–2020), and Gladys Presley in the 2005 miniseries Elvis. From 2022 to 2024, she played the lead role of Kate Dixonon Law & Order. Manheim's film credits include Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Happiness (1998), What Planet Are You From? (2000), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Twisted (2004), Dark Water (2005), An Unfinished Life (2005), and Cop Car (2015). She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, in addition to three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Camryn Manheim
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Manheim at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival
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| Born | Debra Frances Manheim[1] (1961-03-08) March 8, 1961 (age 63) |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Children | Milo Manheim |
Manheim was born in West Caldwell, New Jersey, into a Jewish family,[3][4] the daughter of Sylvia (née Nuchow), a teacher, and Jerome Manheim, a mathematics professor and the Dean of Letters and Science at California State University Long Beach.[5][6] Her family relocated several times in her early childhood due to her father taking new teaching positions, and she spent her early years in Michigan and Peoria, Illinois.[7]
When she was in sixth grade, her family relocated to Southern California, settling in Long Beach, where she attended Woodrow Wilson Classical High School.[8] She became interested in acting after working at a Renaissance faire during high school.[9] Manheim graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a BFA degree in 1984 and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program with an MFA degree in 1987.[10] Her brother, Karl Manheim, is a law professor at Loyola Law School.[11][12]
Manheim worked for a while as a sign language interpreter at hospitals.[13] Her knowledge of sign language was used on The Practice, in the episode "Castle in the Sky" of Law & Order,[14] and in her role as a child behavioral psychologist in the movie Mercury Rising.[citation needed] In 1983, she made a brief appearance as a girl in an elevator in Sudden Impact in the post-courtroom scene at the beginning.
Manheim's breakthrough was her one-woman show "Wake Up, I'm Fat", which played off-BroadwayatClassic Stage Company in 1994.[15] She adapted the show into a book of the same name, which was published by Broadway Books in 1999.[16]
In 1999, Manheim won an Emmy for her work on The Practice. In 1999, she was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award.[17]
Manheim's son Milo, conceived via sperm donation from her close friend Jeffrey Brezovar, was born on March 6, 2001.[18][19]
Manheim has been involved with the Los Angeles–based charity Bet Tzedek Legal Services – The House of Justice, serving as a co-chair for their annual fundraiser, the Justice Ball.[20][21]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Sudden Impact | Girl in elevator | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Cracking Up | Unknown | |
| 1994 | The Road to Wellville | Virginia Cranehill | |
| 1995 | Jeffrey | Single woman | |
| 1996 | Eraser | Nurse | |
| 1996 | Rescuing Desire | Pappa | |
| 1997 | David Searching | Gwen | |
| 1997 | Romy and Michele's High School Reunion | Toby Walters | |
| 1998 | Fool's Gold | Patricia | |
| 1998 | Happiness | Kristina | |
| 1998 | Mercury Rising | Dr. London | |
| 1998 | Wide Awake | Sister Sophia | |
| 1998 | The Tic Code | Mrs. Swensrut | |
| 1998 | You Are Here | Registry woman | |
| 1999 | East of A | Agatha | |
| 1999 | Joe the King | Mrs. Basil | |
| 2000 | What Planet Are You From? | Alison | |
| 2003 | Scary Movie 3 | Trooper | |
| 2004 | The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses | Tria | Voice |
| 2004 | Twisted | Lisa | |
| 2005 | Dark Water | Teacher | |
| 2005 | Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School | Lisa Gobar | |
| 2005 | Snow Wonder | Bev | |
| 2005 | An Unfinished Life | Nina | |
| 2006 | The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers | Tria | Voice |
| 2007 | Slipstream | Barbara | |
| 2009 | Just Peck | Ms. Wood | |
| 2011 | Without Men | Boss | |
| 2012 | Jewtopia | Eileen Daniels | |
| 2013 | The Hot Flashes | Roxie Rosales | |
| 2014 | Fort McCoy | Florie | |
| 2015 | Cop Car | Bev | |
| 2015 | Return to Sender | Nancy | |
| 2018 | All About Nina | Debora |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Law & Order | Leila | Episode: "Life Choice" |
| 1993 | Law & Order | Martha Rollins | Episode: "Benevolence" |
| 1994 | Law & Order | Beatrice Hines | Episode: "Nurture" |
| 1994 | New York Undercover | Bettina | Episode: "Blondes Have More Fun" |
| 1995 | ABC Afterschool Special | Rita | Episode: "Notes for My Daughter" |
| 1995 | Deadly Whispers | Betty | Television film |
| 1995 | One Life to Live | Rabbi Heller | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Chicago Hope | Marge Stewart | Episode: "Sexual Perversity in Chicago Hope" |
| 1997–2004 | The Practice | Ellenor Frutt | Main role |
| 1998 | Ally McBeal | Ellenor Frutt | Episode: "The Inmates" |
| 2000 | Family Guy | Ellen Pine (voice) | Episode: "Dammit Janet" |
| 2000 | Loretta Clairborne Story | Janet MacFarland | Television film |
| 2000 | The 10th Kingdom | Snow White | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Will & Grace | Sue | Episode: "Gypsies, Tramps and Weed" |
| 2001 | Boston Public | Ellenor Frutt | Episode: "Chapter Thirteen" |
| 2001 | A Girl Thing | Suzanne Nabor | Television film |
| 2001 | Jennifer | Suzzane Allen | Television film |
| 2001 | Kiss My Act | Samantha Berger | Television film, also co-executive producer |
| 2002 | The Laramie Project | Rebecca Hillicker | Television film |
| 2003 | The System | Peggy Barker | 9 episodes |
| 2004 | Higglytown Heroes | Camryn (voice) | Episode: "Twinkle Tooth" |
| 2004 | The L Word | Veronica Bloom | 4 episodes |
| 2004 | Strong Medicine | June | Episode: "Cinderella in Scrubs" |
| 2004 | Two and a Half Men | Daisy Ray | Episode: "A Kosher Slaughterhouse Out in Fontana" |
| 2005 | Elvis | Gladys Presley | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | How I Met Your Mother | Ellen Pierce | Episode: "Matchmaker" |
| 2006–2010 | Ghost Whisperer | Delia Banks | Main role (season 2–5) |
| 2007 | Hannah Montana | Margo | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | SeeMore's Playhouse | Herself | Episode: "Dental Visits" |
| 2009 | Jesse Stone: Thin Ice | Elizabeth Blue | Television film |
| 2010 | The Pregnancy Pact | Nurse Daly | Television film |
| 2011–2012 | Harry's Law | Kimberly Mendelsohn | 5 episodes |
| 2013 | Criminal Minds | Carla Hines | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Makeover | Colleen | Television film |
| 2013–2015 | Person of Interest | Control | 9 episodes |
| 2014 | Extant | Sam Barton | Main role (season 1) |
| 2015 | Hand of God | Dr. Langston | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Code Black | Alice Williams | Episode: "Life and Limb" |
| 2016 | Masters of Sex | Alice | Episode: "In to Me You See" |
| 2016 | Younger | Jane Wray | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Major Crimes | Winnie Davis | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Living Biblically | Twila Meadows | Main role |
| 2018 | Waco | Balenda Thibodeau | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself | Guest diner and Waterkeeper Alliance contributor; Episode: "Poor Trev" |
| 2019 | The Magicians | Sheila | 4 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Stumptown | Mary Cosgrove | Main role |
| 2019 | Heartstrings | Betty Grover | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Utopia | Artemis | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Big Shot | Coach McCarthy | Recurring role |
| 2022–2024 | Law & Order | Kate Dixon | Main role (season 21–23) |
| 2022 | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Kate Dixon | Episode: "Gimme Shelter – Part One" |
| 2022–2023 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Kate Dixon | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | This Is Us | Debbie | Episode: "Don't Let Me Keep You" |
