Jerri Manthey
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Jerri Manthey has been living in Los Angeles, California, for the last six years, pursuing her acting career while bartending to help pay the bills. She credits her acting coach, Manu Tupou, with whom she has been studying with for four years, for pushing her beyond her own limitations and encouraging her to write and direct, as well. Her biggest accomplishment was a play that she and her best friend wrote, directed and produced, titled Beautiful Chaos, for the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles. Additionally, she has had roles in various independent films, commercials, and feature films, including the telefilm That Championship Season.
As Manthey puts it, she grew up an "army brat"; her father served 28 years in the United States Army, having retired in 1997. Due to the military way of life, she moved every three to four years of her childhood, spending a total of 12 years on various Army bases in Germany. Graduating from high school in 1988 in Neu Ulm, she then attended the University of Maryland in Munich, Germany.
Manthey describes herself as adventurous, fun loving, spontaneous, honest, and kind. Her favorite hobbies include photography, cooking, painting, writing, reading, and her all-time favorite, camping. She enjoys hiking and/or backpacking to very remote, unknown places in order to escape the craziness of Los Angeles.
Her favorite event is Burning Man, a festival that takes place every year in the vast, barren Black Rock desert of Nevada. She has gone for the last two years and says she will go every year for as long as she lives or until the event no longer takes place. At Burning Man 2000, she and a group of friends from all over California organized a theme camp and stayed for 12 days. They built their own shelter and brought all the supplies necessary to survive in the harsh environment and extreme weather. Manthey named their temporary residence "Camp Chaos" and adopted the slogan "The Ultimate Order Lies in Chaos," a motto she believes applies directly to her life.
A perfect day for Manthey always begins with a cup of coffee! Then, a hike in one of the various canyons of Los Angeles, playing with her dog Gidget and her cat Kiya, writing in her journal, surfing the net, e-mailing, watching a good movie, spending time with a close friend over dinner, and curling up with a good book. Her favorite movies are The Big Lebowski and Search for the Holy Grail. Her favorite TV shows are The Sopranos and Sex and the City. She enjoys all types of music-depending on her mood- ranging from Al Green and Barry White to Creed and Tonic. When she's ready to dance, she enjoys funky, soulful, house music.
Manthey was born in Bad Konstatt Hospital on the Army base in Stuttgart, Germany. She is proud to report that her mother and father--both from South Dakota--are still together and happily married. She has two brothers and one sister.
Her birth date is September 5, 1970.
