Biography

Malinda Farrington's successful career on Broadway, TV and Film is a direct result from being raised by her very talented Mother, Jeanne Ellis, a child star during the depression. Her Mother traveled and sang with Paul Whitman's Big Band and played Jeannette MacDonald as a child in the feature film Girl of the Golden West.

Malinda was born Malinda Lee Shaffer in Dixon ,Illinois, but raised in Montgomery, Alabama. She went to SMU in Dallas, Texas on a Dance Scholarship and left in her junior year to move to New York City to pursue her love for the arts. In NYC she gained a full scholarship to Alvin Ailey's School of Dance while Alvin was still alive and was thrilled to learn from him and Judith Jamison. After a screen test with Sidney Poitier she realized she might have more to experience than just dance.

Malinda's path to becoming a successful Triple-Threat on Broadway started in San Francisco with DANGEROUS GAMES where she played the lead role of Lacivia and was blessed to work with Tony Award Winning Choreographer and Director, Graciela Daniele. Soon afterwards her Broadway career launched with THE GOODBYE GIRL when she worked with Bernadette Peters and Martin Short. Followed by working with Michael Damian in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Bebe Neuwirth, Victor Garber and then Jerry Lewis in DAMN YANKEES and with the living icon Chita Rivera, in CHITA RIVERA: THE DANCER'S LIFE.

Wanting to pursue an acting career in TV and film she moved to Los Angeles. Her very first short became an award winning film that landed her a Best Supporting Actress win at a festival. Since then she's done a feature film, several national commercials and most recently Co-Starred in the NBC pilot of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist as the first to sing to Zoey (Jane Levy).

Malinda has two children, a sound engineer Son and a TV/Film editing Daughter. She's married to TV writer, Glenn Farrington.

- IMDb mini biography by: Malinda Farrington