Humanitarian of the Week: Camryn Manheim

Equally adept at comedy and drama, Camryn Manheim has proven to be one of the most reliably gifted actors working today. Her face has become familiar to us over the years through her work on such television programs as The Practice, The Ghost Whisperer, Two and a Half Men, Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, Will & Grace, and others, as well as in films such as The Tenth Kingdom, Dark Water, Scary Movie 3, Jeffrey, The Laramie Project and many more. Miss Manheim brings a natural believability to all of the characters that she plays. This probably owes, in large part, to her genuine nature as an individual.


Early in Miss Manheim’s career, she worked as a sign language interpreter in hospitals. This is a skill that she has been able to use as part of her dramatic craft. However, this is but one way in which Camryn Manheim serves our global community. She is a vocal human rights activist, speaking and acting on behalf of women’s rights, acceptance of overweight people and gay rights. She has given her time and effort to a host of organizations dedicated to improving people’s lives—RAINN, The House of Justice, The Children’s Institute, The Dream Fountation, Project Angel Food and the Anti-Defamation League to name just a few.

Camryn Manheim’s Web site offers a look into her numerous charitable activities as well as a glimpse into her prolific career. For her great talent and even greater works, Camryn Manheim is our Humanitarian of the Week.

Here’s a clip from a personal favorite of mine—Miss Manheim as “Snow White” in the epic Robert Halmi production, The Tenth Kingdom.