Melanie Barbara Chartoff (born December 15, 1948) is an American actress and comedian. Chartoff first became famous for her comedy work on the ABC series Fridays (1980–1982), and in the 1990s Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose. She voiced both Didi Pickles and Grandma Minka, Didi's mother on the Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats and All Grown Up!.
Early life Chartoff was born on December 15, 1948, in New Haven, Connecticut, and attended West Haven High School. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Adelphi University. Chartoff is Jewish.
Career Her first Broadway appearances were in Galt MacDermot's space opera Via Galactica (1972), directed by Peter Hall, and The Young Vic's Scapino, starring Jim Dale (1974).
Chartoff's first TV role came in 1976 when she played a nurse on Search for Tomorrow, after which she appeared in the 1978 motion picture American Hot Wax. She first became a nationally known figure on ABC's Fridays, which was ABC's attempt to create its own version of Saturday Night Live. Chartoff immediately stood out on the series, partly thanks to her regular role as the anchor on the show's fake newscasts, but also due to her comedic skills (particularly an impression of Nancy Reagan). In one sketch, Melanie was cold-cocked on live TV when co-star Maryedith Burrell failed to pull her punch during a skit and chipped Chartoff's tooth.
Between the demise of Fridays in 1982 and her return to a regular series in 1990 with Parker Lewis Can't Lose (in which she co-starred for three seasons as the high-strung Principal Grace Musso), Chartoff continued to work steadily on television throughout the 1980s, including appearances on Mr. Belvedere, Wiseguy, Wonder Woman, and St. Elsewhere, as well as a recurring role on Newhart as Dr. Kaiser. She made two appearances on Seinfeld, including one in the 1998 series finale in which four of her former Fridays co-stars were also involved (including Michael Richards). She appeared in the 2006 season finale of Desperate Housewives.
In the Los Angeles premiere of Bill Finn and James Lapine's musical March of the Falsettos (1982), for which she won a Drama-Logue Award, she played Trina. She played Mary Jane Wilkes in the La Jolla Playhouse premiere of Big River (1984). At South Coast Repertory she appeared in the world Premiere of On the Jump. She played Dot in the West Coast premiere of Sunday in the Park with George at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater (1986).
Inventing In 1991, Chartoff and fellow voice actor Michael Bell conceived the Grayway Rotating Drain, a device that recycles shower and sink greywater to flush toilets in the home. In 1992 they collaborated with Ronald K. Ford who applied for, and in 1994 received a patent on the product.*, "Gray water recycling system" (Jan. 4, 1994)
Voice acting and other projects Chartoff's first voice-over work was a guest role on Challenge of the Superfriends. She has continued her work as an in-demand voice actress and also takes occasional TV and stage roles. Chartoff works as a coach to both actors and non-actors to make them more charismatic in public performances. In 2005, she interviewed Laraine Newman for Autograph Collector magazine. Chartoff writes for The Huffington Post, The Jewish Journal, Defenestration Magazine, and The Funny Times. She performs her original material at such Los Angeles venues as Comedy Central's "Sit n' Spin," "Tasty Words," and "I Love a Good Story."
Rugrats From 1991 to 2008, Chartoff voiced Didi Pickles and her mother Grandma Minka on the Nickelodeon series Rugrats, for which she won a Daytime Emmy. She continued to voice Didi on the Rugrats spin-off series, All Grown Up!. For the 2021 revival series of the same name, Chartoff was replaced by actress Ashley Spillers.
Awards Aside from Drama-Logue and Daytime Emmy Awards, she was awarded by the City of Hope for creating and producing the yearly event Halloween for Hope to benefit children's cancer research and received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Mayor of Los Angeles for her concerts for the homeless. Chartoff is listed in Who's Who in California, and Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities.
Personal life On July 5, 2013, Chartoff married psychologist Stan Friedman, her longtime boyfriend.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1978American Hot WaxDebbieFilm debut1979Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie PrinzeFanTelevision film, uncredited1982Having It AllDaceTelevision film1985Doin' TimeLinda Libel1986StoogemaniaBeverlyHardesty HouseJudy WernerTelevision film1987Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend ContinuesDeborahTelevision film1993Wind in the Wireunknown roleTelevision film1997Plato's RunStephanieDirect-to-video1998The Rugrats MovieDidi Pickles, MinkaVoice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.2000Big Brother TroubleFrances DobsonRugrats in Paris: The MovieDidi PicklesVoice2001The Rugrats: All Growed UpVoice, television film2003Rugrats Go WildVoice2006Dr. Dolittle 3Black and White HenVoice, direct-to-video2012And Out, Into the Bright Skyunknown roleShort film2017Alexander IRLMaureen Finn
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1976Search for TomorrowNancy Craig Television debut1973The DoctorsNurse (uncredited)Episode: "#1.2824"1978Wonder WomanNadiaEpisode: "Screaming Javelins"The Tony Randall ShowGinnyEpisode: "Adios, Mr. Chips"Richie Brockelman, Private EyePolice-Woman RonnieEpisode: "Escape from Caine Abel"1978–80Challenge of the SuperfriendsAdditional voices16 episodes1980–82FridaysVarious54 episodes1983Oh Madelineunknown roleEpisode: "Sisters"1985Mr. BelvedereDetective WentworthEpisode: "What I Did for Love"St. ElsewhereKate LarsonEpisode: "Fathers and Sons"1986The Love BoatBetty BellEpisode: "Hippies and Yuppies/Frat Wars/Return of the Lambdas"FresnoDesiree DeMornayMiniseries; 5 episodes1987Take FiveLaraine McDermottRecurring role, 6 episodes1987–90NewhartDr. Mary KaiserRecurring role, 5 episodes1988WiseguyLillah WarfieldRecurring role, 3 episodes1989The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!Tawny TylerEpisode: "Adee Don't/Karate Koopa"1990The Fanelli BoysBeckyEpisode: "Pilot"1990–93Parker Lewis Can't LosePrincipal Grace Musso72 episodes1991–2004RugratsDidi Pickles, Minka Kropotkin, additional voicesVoice, 155 episodes1993Married... with ChildrenLaurie Diamond, AttorneyEpisode: "Un-Alful Entry"1994Living Single Madeline FlayvinEpisode: "They've Gotta Have It"1994, 1998SeinfeldRobin2 episodes1996–98Weird ScienceMarcia Donnellyrecurring role; 5 episodes1996–99JumanjiAunt Nora ShepherdVoice, 22 episodes1998Ally McBealJoanne PooleEpisode: "Happy Trails"2000Touched by an AngelConnie BurgerEpisode: "Bar Mitzvah"Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildGrape FoxVoice, episode: "Aesop's Fables: A Whodunit Musical"2001JAGSenator Anne PickEpisode: "Ambush"2002TainaSasha SimmonsEpisode: "Desperately Seeking Agent"The Zeta ProjectLead ScientistVoice, episode: "Cabin Pressure"Body & SoulColleen McKinneyEpisode: "Letting Go"Half & HalfBridgetEpisode: "The Big in with the in Crowd Episode"2003–08All Grown Up!Didi Pickles, Minka KropotkinVoice, 32 episodes2005UnfabulousHealth TeacherEpisode: "The Little Sister"2006Desperate HousewivesSallyEpisode: "Remember (Part 1)"2007Tak & the Power of JujuChief Tina-TinaVoice, episode: "The Three Chiefs"2010No Ordinary FamilyIris MitchellEpisode: "Pilot"2014Extraordinary FaithDirector/Consulting Producer Television Documentary; 2 episodes2015Switched at BirthProducerEpisode: "There Is My Heart"2018OK K.O.! Let's Be HeroesSunshineVoice, 4 episodes
Video games YearTitleRoleNotes1998Rugrats Adventure GameDidi PicklesRugrats: Search for Reptar1999Rugrats: Studio Tour
References
External links
Patent 5274861 information "Actress Stars as Inventor", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015. Profile, TheaterMania.com. Retrieved July 2, 2015.