Biography
Lisa Marie Dinolan was born in Cebu, Philippines. Her father, a novelist, is of English, Welsh and Chinese descent (from England, Wales and Hong Kong). Her mother, a homemaker, is of Filipino and Spanish ancestry. Marie was raised in Cebu, the Queen City of the southern Philippines, and graduated from high school and college with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics and Literature. She is a native and fluent speaker of three different languages (English, Tagalog and Cebuano). She also studied written and spoken Mandarin Chinese for four years as a young teen.
At age seventeen, she went with a friend to an open casting call for an up-and-coming local reality show for the next big TV Host. She was one of the three winners in the finale episode. Each winner was offered a contract for a hosting segment on the channel. While plans to move to the United States to pursue a career in acting were in the works, Marie embraced the unexpected detour into TV Hosting. From 2010-2014, Marie graced television screens and emceed live events for two TV networks; RCTV Channel 36 and MyTV Cebu. She was also offered her own show with both TV stations, Scene Around Town (RCTV) and Life At The Park (MyTV) with co-host Dan Miranda, during this time. After five years of starring as a TV Host, Marie left the Philippines to pursue acting professionally.
In September 2014, she moved to New York City to pursue classical training in theater, film and television upon being accepted at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts for their two year full-time conservatory program. Since graduating and awarded with the degree of Associate of Occupational Studies in Acting in 2016, Marie has been working as an actress on screen for shows on Amazon Prime, BET, Tubi, etc and numerous Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway stages starring in leading lady roles, flamboyant characters and ingenues.
In August 2022, Marie received critical acclaim for her performance in the world premiere of the contemporary play, macbitches, at the Chain Theatre in Manhattan as a New York Times Critic's Pick. ("A revelatory star turn from Dinolan as its brightest point.", "Not only can Dinolan play drunk well *tougher than you'd think*, but she superbly inhabits her character's inchoate ability to command a stage.", "a showcase for Dinolan's blazing charisma.")
In December 2022, Marie was recognized in Theatrely's Best of 2022 as a Standout Star for her performance in macbitches alongside Lea Michele (Funny Girl) and Pamela Anderson (Chicago).
