Diane Markoff

Diane Markoff is an American actress, photographer, and stage/location services professional, best known to television audiences for her recurring role as a waitress in Quincy, M.E. during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Over a career spanning more than four decades, she also appeared in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Cliffhangers, Young Doctors in Love, and Death Wish II, before transitioning into photography and location-stage management. She later directed operations at DC Stages in Los Angeles, a creative complex featured in the *Los Angeles Times* for its innovative reuse of industrial warehouses for filming. Her life blends performance, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy, particularly through her support of law-enforcement training and wildlife rescue.

Early life and family

Markoff (center) in a 1960 family photo at Mission San Juan Capistrano, which she later described in her writing.

Markoff was born in Hollywood, California, at Kaiser Hospital on Sunset Boulevard, and has remained a lifelong resident of the Los Angeles area. She attended Lakewood High School in Lakewood, California, graduating with the Class of 1972. In a 2013 *Orange County Register* essay she reflected on a 1960 family visit to Mission San Juan Capistrano, calling the photograph from that day “a frame of time that explains who we were and what we carried forward.”

Her father, a military veteran who died while she was young from heart complications, is remembered within the family as a supportive and devoted husband and father whose service and encouragement helped shape her creative outlook. Her mother’s resilience after major surgery left an equally lasting impression, inspiring the daily mantra “find a reason to put your feet on the floor.” Markoff has said that actor Jack Klugman often repeated this same phrase to her on the set of Quincy, M.E., where it became both a personal and professional motto that she carried throughout her life.

Modeling and early publicity

By 1973, Markoff entered local beauty contests. The *Independent Press-Telegram* reported her as a semifinalist in the Miss Long Beach competition (Apr 1 1973) and a participant in the “Beauties to Tour Queen” pageant (Apr 12 1973). The *News-Pilot* (May 29 1974) noted her participation in a Catalina Island event.

These experiences led to commercial photo work—swimwear, Bugle Boy jeans, and print campaigns—introducing her to the Los Angeles casting world.

Acting career

Markoff’s screen appearances coincide with the boom of late-1970s genre television:

• The Incredible Hulk (1978) – The Girl / Janet
• The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (1978) – guest role
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) – Female PilotTemplate:Cite web
• Cliffhangers: The Secret Empire (1979) – Princess Tara, acknowledged in *The Sacramento Union* preview.

Her longest engagement came with *Quincy, M.E.* (1979–1983), where she portrayed **Diane**, the recurring waitress at Danny’s restaurant. Her friendly interactions with Klugman’s Quincy added everyday realism.

Film roles followed:

• Young Doctors in Love (1982) – Emilia — ensemble comedy directed by Garry Marshall.
• Death Wish II (1982) – Supporting role (listed in AFI Catalog).
• Harper Valley PTA (1982) – Pookey
• Alien Nation: Dark Horizon (1994) – Communications Officer
• The Final Wish (2018) – Librarian

Diane – Waitress at Danny’s Place

Publicity still from Quincy, M.E.; Markoff appears as the recurring waitress Diane.

Fans of Quincy, M.E. will remember Diane, the friendly and unflappable waitress who worked at Danny’s Place, the marina-side restaurant that served as Quincy’s social hub away from the coroner’s office. Diane wasn’t a central character, but her presence anchored some of the show’s most relaxed and human moments. Whether she was topping off Quincy’s coffee or trading a quick line with Danny and the regulars, she brought a touch of normalcy to a series that often dealt with life, death, and moral dilemmas.

Danny’s Place was the on-screen name for the restaurant set built on Stage 25 at Universal Studios, with exterior scenes filmed on location at Marina del Rey, giving the show a genuine Southern California atmosphere. The blend of studio and real-world shooting helped sell the illusion of a working marina restaurant — viewers could probably almost feel the ocean breeze outside their windows.

Production-wise, these sequences were shot with a traditional Universal multi-camera setup common for series of that time, using warm key lighting and medium angles to emphasize conversation and camaraderie. The set was periodically redressed including a bar and large fish tank with nautical wall tapestries and reused, a practice typical of Universal soundstages of the era.

Diane’s appearances often opened or closed an episode, serving as small bridges between Quincy’s intense investigations and the personal world he returned to. She didn’t have big storylines, but her steady presence reminded viewers that, beneath Quincy’s crusading energy, there was still an ordinary man surrounded by friends, good food, and familiar faces down at the marina.

Photography and behind-the-camera work

In the mid-1980s Markoff redirected her creative efforts toward still photography and production logistics. She became known for her Nikon-based documentary style—catching the unnoticed gestures of crew and cast—and for her capacity to convert forgotten industrial corners into usable film spaces.

A *Los Angeles Times* feature, “Hollywood Does Remake of Old Industrial Sites” (2 July 1989), profiled her among warehouse-location agents transforming the city’s landscape.

DC Stages, community engagement, and legacy

Markoff managed **DC Stages** into the 2010s, overseeing themed set rentals used for both entertainment and training. She donated space to local police departments for K-9 training and tactical drills, reflecting her commitment to civic service.

Her compassion extended to animal care—feeding birds and rescue animals around DC Stages and her home, often accompanied by her dog Buddy.

A publicly released drone tour in 2020 opened with Markoff greeting viewers; by 2021, the complex had been demolished, closing a chapter of Los Angeles filming history. She described the loss as “an end and a renewal—the sets served their stories, and stories move on.”

Later reflections and influence

Markoff continues to be recognized in retrospectives on *Quincy, M.E.* and late-1970s television. The *Star-Ledger* (Aug 3 2008) included her among “supporting faces we remember.” Her career path—from pageants to television to location management—illustrates the fluidity of creative labor in Hollywood and the contributions of women behind the camera.

Selected filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes / Citation
1978	The Incredible Hulk (TV)	The Girl / Janet	Episode credit
1979	Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV)	Female Pilot	Template:Cite web
1979	Cliffhangers: The Secret Empire (TV)	Princess Tara	Template:Cite news
1979–1983	Quincy, M.E. (TV)	Diane (recurring waitress)	Template:Cite web
1982	Young Doctors in Love	Emilia	Template:Cite web
1982	Death Wish II	Supporting role	Template:Cite web
1994	Alien Nation: Dark Horizon	Communications Officer	Television movie
2018	The Final Wish	Librarian	Independent film

External links

• Diane Markoff on IMDb
• Diane Markoff at Xwhois
• Diane Markoff at TV Guide
• Diane at Movie DB
• Classic TV Archive – Quincy, M.E. Season 7
• AFI Catalog – Death Wish II
• OC Register essay
• LA Times feature (1989)
• DC Stages Drone Tour (YouTube)

Galleries

Movie & TV

• Film and television appearances by Diane Markoff
• 
  Quincy, M.E. – recurring waitress "Diane". IMDb
• 
  Cliffhangers: The Secret Empire – Princess Tara. IMDb
• 
  Young Doctors in Love – Emilia, directed by Garry Marshall. IMDb
• Death Wish II – Supporting role. IMDb
  Death Wish II – Supporting role. IMDb
• Alien Nation: Dark Horizon – Communications Officer. IMDb
  Alien Nation: Dark Horizon – Communications Officer. IMDb
• The Final Wish – Librarian. IMDb
  The Final Wish – Librarian. IMDb

Personal

• Personal photographs and memories from Diane Markoff’s life
• 
  Promotional portrait (1976)
• 
  Family photo at Mission San Juan Capistrano (1960)
• 
  Diane with her father
• 
  Publicity headshot (circa 1977)
• 
  Self-portrait during photography phase (1977)

Friends & Colleagues

• Friends, colleagues, and collaborators of Diane Markoff
• 
  With Peter Falk on the Universal lot during Columbo shoot (1980s)
• 
  Police K-9 training at DC Stages (2000s)
• 
  Opening frame of DC Stages drone tour (2020)
• Markoff with film crew at DC Stages
  Markoff with film crew at DC Stages
• Wrap party from Quincy, M.E. (1983)
  Wrap party from Quincy, M.E. (1983)