Monica Lee Gradischek Biography: Age, Height, Husband, Son, Parents, Net Worth, Broadway, TV Shows
Monica Lee Gradischek is an American actress, voice actress, singer, and theater performer whose career spans Broadway, television, animation, commercials, and video games.
She has appeared in productions such as Grease, Hello, Dolly!, The Fresh Beat Band, Squirrel Boy, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Mindy Project, and Hollywood. She continues to work in television and voice performance.
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| Name: | Monica Lee Gradischek |
| Born: | December 15, 1971 (age 54 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Jeannette, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | American |
| Height: | 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Parents: | Kenneth “Kenny” Gradischek, Angela Gradischek |
| Spouse: | Michael Shames |
| Relationship: | Married |
| Children: | Sammy Shames |
| Occupation: | Actress, Voice Actress, Singer, Theater Performer |
| Net Worth: | $2 million |
Early life and education
Monica Lee Gradischek was born on December 15, 1971, in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, USA. She was the daughter of Kenneth “Kenny” Gradischek and Angela Gradischek.
Angela Gradischek died in 2017, and her obituary identifies Monica as her daughter and states that Monica was living in Los Angeles, California, at the time.
Monica is American by ethnicity and nationality. She follows Christianity. Information about her siblings is not established in the available biographical material.
Her formal acting education took place at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1994. Her professional training also included study at Circle in the Square, alongside scene study, improvisation, voice, and voiceover training.
Career
Monica Lee Gradischek began building her professional performance career in theater, eventually appearing on Broadway and in major touring productions. Her Broadway credits include Grease, where she played Frenchy, and More To Love.
She also portrayed Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly!, including the national tour associated with Carol Channing.
Her screen career expanded into television, film, animation, and voiceover. She appeared in As the World Turns, All My Children, Related, Bones, Wizards of Waverly Place, Melissa & Joey, and The Mindy Project.
Her animation credits include Rocket Power, Sniz and Fondue, The Simpsons, Squirrel Boy, and Prickles the Cactus.
A particularly recognizable television role came in The Fresh Beat Band, where she played Ms. Piccolo from 2009 to 2011. She later appeared as Lucille Reimann in Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood in 2020.
In 2026, Gradischek returned to television in The Varnell Hill Show, playing Executive Wendy. The BET+ comedy series is part of her most recent screen work.
Awards and nominations
- 2004 Mini DV Festival, Los Angeles — Winner, Best Comedy for Sunshine.
Personal life
Monica Lee Gradischek, 54 years old, is married to Michael Shames. The couple have a son named Sammy Shames. Angela Gradischek’s 2017 obituary identified Monica as Monica Lee Gradischek Shames, listed Michael as her husband, and identified Sammy as her grandson.
Monica Lee Gradischek and Michael Shames have also shared professional theater history. Both appeared in the touring production of Hello, Dolly!, where Monica played Minnie Fay and Michael appeared as Stanley.
Her professional interests include acting, singing, dance, improvisation, and voiceover performance. Her listed performance abilities include ballet, jazz and tap dance, an alto vocal range, comedy, and multiple accents, including New York and Southern American accents.
She is also listed as fluent in French. Her height is 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m).
Net worth
Monica Lee Gradischek’s net worth is around $2 million USD. Her wealth has been accumulated from a long career in television acting, Broadway and theater performances, voice acting, commercials, animation, film, and video-game voice work.
Her television roles, stage productions, commercial work, and recurring animation performances have provided multiple professional income streams across several decades.
Filmography
- The Fresh Beat Band
- Squirrel Boy
- Hollywood
- The Mindy Project
- The Varnell Hill Show
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