Melanie Chartoff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melanie Chartoff
Chartoff in 1980
Born	Melanie Barbara Chartoff (1948-12-15) December 15, 1948 (age 76) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Alma mater	Adelphi University
Occupation	Actress comedian
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Stan Friedman ​ (m. 2013)​

Melanie Barbara Chartoff (born December 15, 1948) is an American actress and comedian. She became well-known for her comedy on the ABC show Fridays (1980–1982). Later, in the 1990s, she starred in the Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose. Many kids know her voice as Didi Pickles and Grandma Minka from the Nickelodeon cartoons Rugrats and All Grown Up!.

Early Life and Education

Melanie Chartoff was born on December 15, 1948, in New Haven, Connecticut. She went to West Haven High School and later studied at Adelphi University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Melanie Chartoff's Acting Career

Melanie Chartoff started her acting career on Broadway. Her first appearances were in Via Galactica (1972) and Scapino (1974).

Her first TV role was in 1976 as a nurse on Search For Tomorrow. In 1978, she appeared in the movie American Hot Wax. She became famous on ABC's Fridays, a show similar to Saturday Night Live. Melanie was known for her role as the anchor on the show's fake news reports and her funny impressions, like her impression of Nancy Reagan.

After Fridays ended in 1982, Melanie continued to work on TV. She appeared in shows like Mr. Belvedere, Wiseguy, and St. Elsewhere. From 1990 to 1993, she co-starred in Parker Lewis Can't Lose as the strict Principal Grace Musso. She also appeared twice on Seinfeld, including the 1998 series finale. In 2006, she was in the season finale of Desperate Housewives.

On stage, Melanie won a Drama-Logue Award for her role as Trina in the musical March of the Falsettos (1982). She also performed in Big River (1984) and Sunday in the Park with George (1986).

Inventing New Ideas

In 1991, Melanie Chartoff and fellow voice actor Michael Bell came up with an idea for a special drain. It was called the Grayway Rotating Drain. This device helps recycle water from showers and sinks to flush toilets. This idea helps save water! In 1994, they received a patent for their invention.

Voice Acting and Other Projects

Melanie Chartoff's first voice-over job was on Challenge of the Superfriends. She is a popular voice actress and also takes on TV and stage roles. She helps other actors and people learn how to be more confident when performing in public.

Melanie also writes for different magazines and newspapers, such as The Huffington Post and The Jewish Journal. She performs her own original comedy stories in Los Angeles.

Voicing Characters in Rugrats

From 1991 to 2008, Melanie Chartoff voiced two main characters on the Nickelodeon show Rugrats: Didi Pickles and her mother, Grandma Minka. For her work on Rugrats, she won a Daytime Emmy. She continued to voice Didi in the Rugrats spin-off series, All Grown Up!. In the 2021 revival series, another actress took over the role of Didi.

Awards and Recognition

Besides her Drama-Logue and Daytime Emmy Awards, Melanie Chartoff has received other honors. The City of Hope recognized her for creating "Halloween for Hope," an event that raises money for children's cancer research. The Mayor of Los Angeles also thanked her for her concerts that helped people experiencing homelessness. She is listed in "Who's Who in California" and "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities."

Personal Life

On July 5, 2013, Melanie Chartoff married psychologist Stan Friedman. They had been together for a long time before getting married.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles