Camryn Manheim
Ellenor Frutt on The Practice 

It is a great understatement to say that Camryn Manheim has had a very good year. She received the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama - accepted with one of award broadcast's most memorable speeches -- and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, Television, for her depiction of attorney Ellenor Frutt on "The Practice." She appeared in one of the year's most controversial and talked-about movies, Todd Solondz's "Happiness"; and she authored her first book, "Wake Up, I'm Fat!," and saw it hit the New York Times Best Seller List. 

Manheim has appeared in a long list of hit films, as well as television and stage productions. Her motion picture credits include "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion," "Jeffrey," "The Road to Wellville," "Wide Awake" with Rosie O'Donnell, and "Mercury Rising" with Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. 

On television, Manheim guest-starred on a number of series, including "Chicago Hope," "Law & Order" and "Touched By an Angel." A popular actor on daytime dramas, Manheim has appeared on such programs as "Loving," "One Life to Live" and "All My Children."

She recently completed work on "The Loretta Claiborne Story," which will air as part of "The Wonderful World of Disney" on ABC in early 2000. She will also be seen in the miniseries, "The Tenth Kingdom," in which she plays Snow White. Next for Manheim on the big screen will be a role in the upcoming Mike Nichols film, "What Planet Are You From?"

A versatile and talented stage actress, Manheim starred in "Wake Up, I'm Fat," her own one-woman show at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York. The autobiographical production served as the inspiration for the book of the same name, which was published by Broadway Books in the spring of 1999. It garnered rave reviews (including a rare "A-" from Entertainment Weekly) and debuted at #14 on the New York Times Best Seller List. The book is the most recent example of Manheim's determination to inspire and demand respect for people of all sizes. When People magazine declared her one of "The 25 Most Intriguing People of 1998," they wrote, ". . . when Camryn Manheim thrust her best supporting actress Emmy overhead and declared, 'This is for all the fat girls!,' she not only served notice that she had arrived, but also expressed her determination that others like her will follow."

She won a 1995 Obie Award for her performance in Craig Lucas' "Missing Persons" at the Atlantic Theatre Company. She is proud to have worked at such renowned theaters as the New York Shakespeare Festival, Lincoln Center, Yale Repertory, New York Theatre Workshop, Classic Stage Company and Home for Contemporary Theater. 

The role of Ellenor Frutt was adjusted to reflect some of Manheim's personality, including the 12 earrings she wears in her right ear. In New York City, which she calls home, Manheim can often be seen riding her Honda CB650 motorcycle in traffic, no matter what the weather. She is also a sign language interpreter and holds an MFA from New York University, where she currently teaches. 

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