Dinah Marler

Dinah Marler
Gina Tognoni as Dinah Marler
Guiding Light character
Portrayed by	Jennifer Gatti (1986–87) Paige Turco (1987–89) Wendy Moniz (1995–99) Gina Tognoni (2004–09)
Duration	1986–89, 1995–99, 2004–09
First appearance	June 16, 1986
Last appearance	September 18, 2009
Created by	Jeff Ryder
Introduced by	Gail Kobe
Classification	Final, regular
Profile
Occupation	Former Owner of WSPR Former Host of The Light on Sprngfield Former Vice-President of Spaulding Enterprises Former Temporary CEO of Spaulding Enterprise (sat in for Harley Cooper) Former PR Specialist at Spaulding Enterprises Former PR Specialist (and Assistant) to D.A. Jeffrey O'Neill Former Station Manager of WSPR Briefly worked at Lewis Oil Former Waitress at the nightclub, Kiyogi Formerly mowed lawns for Sally Gleason
Residence	Germany
Parents Ross Marler Vanessa Chamberlain Siblings Bill Lewis III Jason Marler Kevin Marler Maureen Reardon Clarissa Marler Spouse Roger Thorpe (1995–96) Hart Jessup (1998–99) A.C. Mallet (2007–08) Shayne Lewis (2009) Children Laura Layne Grandparents Emily Marler Henry Chamberlain Aunts and uncles Justin Marler Lainie Marler Ben Warren Quinton Chamberlain First cousins Phillip Spaulding Samantha Marler Drew Jacobs Anthony James "J" Chamberlain

Dinah Marler is a fictional character from the CBS Daytime soap opera Guiding Light, last portrayed by Gina Tognoni from July 6, 2004 to September 18, 2009.

The character was originated by Jennifer Gatti from June 1986 to June 1987. Paige Turco assumed the role in July 1987 and played Dinah until February 1989. Wendy Moniz next portrayed the character from early February 1995 to March 1999. In May 2004, it was announced that former One Life to Live actress Gina Tognoni would step into the role of Dinah. She debuted in the role in July 2004. Following the cancellation of Guiding Light, Tognoni opted out of her contract early.

Tognoni has won two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the role in 2006 and 2008, and was also nominated in 2007.

Vanessa gave birth to Dinah at the age of seventeen in 1970 and felt she was incapable of being a good mother to her newborn at the time. With no one to turn to for help, she gave Dinah up for adoption and was reassured that her child would be adopted by a great family who would love and care for her. Dinah would have to endure a turbulent childhood and when she was reunited with her biological parents in her teenage years, the hurt and resentment she felt towards Ross and Vanessa for giving her up as a baby made it hard to forgive them. Vanessa especially received the brunt of Dinah's wrath when she learnt her mother had placed her for adoption without Ross even knowing about her existence.

After her initial adoptive parents (John and Melissa Carter) were killed in a car accident, her adoptive uncle, the late Gordon Matthews(Melissa's brother) placed her at the Little Angels Foundling Home in Springfield. In time, she would be placed with a foster family the Morgans who also took in another girl, Adele, whom Dinah became very close to. She ran away from the Morgans and found a new foster family, the Kowalskis, that worked at a carnival, but 1986, Dinah was tired of the carnival life and left for Springfield to find her long lost foster sister, Adele.