Actress-Author-Speaker Cynthia Manion visited Waynesboro and won new fans “one conversation at a time.”
By Robb Helfrick
Cynthia Manion visited Waynesboro on September 18, the latest stop in a fascinating life. The actress, author, speaker, and podcaster traveled from her home in Annapolis, Maryland, to attend the Mainstreet Comic Con.
While in town, Manion relived a chapter from her movie-acting past. In 1984, she portrayed “Julie,” a blonde bombshell in the cult classic “Toxic Avenger,” which the Waynesboro Theatre re-screened during the recent festival.
Toxic Avenger is a black comedy set in an urban health club. The story revolves around a nerdy janitor named Melvin who gains superpowers after falling into a drum of chemical waste. This accident transforms him into a hideous mutant with superhuman size and strength, and he becomes the “Toxic Avenger.” Julie and her friends teased Melvin before his transformation (and perpetrated other mean acts), and the crime-fighting avenger eventually takes revenge.
Manion met movie fans and signed autographs during her local appearance. She found Waynesboro “charming,” and said she enjoyed its downtown architecture and loved the hanging floral baskets on Main Street. “I met some nice people during my stay in Waynesboro.”
Manion’s movie career cooled after Toxic Avenger, but she earned a minor role in “Blowout,” which starred John Travolta and Nancy Allen. However, Cynthia hasn’t slowed down since, becoming a successful model, author, businesswoman, and motivational speaker.
As the daughter of an Air Force Colonel, Manion lived all over the world during her youth, including Europe, East Africa, and the Seychelles Islands. After attending Georgetown University, she moved to New York City, where she started her modeling and acting career. Cynthia later married and had a son. She garnered the beauty pageant title of “Mrs. New York.”
At every stop on her journey, Manion learned to network and treat everyone with respect. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” she said. After a stint with Nordstrom, where she helped open stores and worked in management, Manion turned her attention to writing.
Cynthia wrote two books, “Black Pearl” and “Savannah Seas,” featuring strong female characters with ties to the ocean. Those protagonists “know their worth and their values are not for sale.”
Building on her business world ties, Manion also wrote “The Network Effect.” To promote those three works, Manion started a podcast in 2023.
The podcast began as a monthly enterprise, then became biweekly until the project gained momentum. “The Cynthia Manion Show” is now a weekly production, broadcast live every Wednesday at 7 pm. The next edition will be episode number 135.
As host, Manion interviews a variety of captivating people whose stories inspire her listeners to live better lives. “Your next chapter can be the best one,” Cynthia says, as she helps people reinvent themselves, “one conversation at a time.”
Manion has thousands of social media followers and maintains a busy schedule. She continues to write and has 3 new books in the works. Cynthia is also taking classes to improve her acting craft. To add another layer of challenge to her life, Manion excelled at bodybuilding in recent years.
Despite her active lifestyle, Manion makes time to remember friends’ birthdays and enjoys people from all walks of life. “My mission is to engage with the world,” she said.
To learn more about Cynthia, visit her website (cynthiamanion.com), or find her on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Manion’s books are available for purchase on Amazon.
During her unique career, Cynthia Manion has been chased by movie mutants, strutted the fashion runway, steered businesses, and penned thought-provoking books. As she hosts her weekly podcast and pursues her zest for living, one thing is certain: wherever this multi-talented woman goes next, it will be an intriguing journey.
