Ellen Greene
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
A brassy, Brooklyn-born musical comedy actress, Greene has also made a name for herself as a nightclub chanteuse. She began singing in such Manhattan clubs as Reno Sweeney's and The Brothers & Sisters while attending Rider College in NJ, and was discovered by a scout for The New York Shakespeare Festival. Greene performed in such shows as "In the Boom Boom Room" (1974) and "The Threepenny Opera" (for which she won a Tony nomination in 1977). She also appeared in "Funny Face" (1978-79), the ill-fated "The Little Prince and the Aviator" (1981) and scored a great hit as the lovelorn Audrey in the musical comedy "Little Shop of Horrors" (1982). Greene became romantically involved with Marty Robinson, who played the man-eating plant Audrey II in the show.
Green reprised her role of Audrey in the 1986 film version of "Little Shop of Horrors." She had already appeared in Paul Mazursky's "Next Stop, Greenwich Village" (1976) and "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can" (1982). Greene never became a "movie star," but kept busy: among her other credits are "Me and Him" and Oliver Stone's "Talk Radio" (both 1988), "Pump Up the Volume" (1990), a voice-over in the animated "Rock-a-Doodle" and the Liza Minnelli musical "Stepping Out" (both 1991), "Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult" (1994) and John Candy's swan song "Wagons East!" (1994).
TV has kept the actress busy since her debut in the 1977 miniseries "Seventh Avenue" (NBC). In addition to guest spots on such series as "Miami Vice," "Law & Order" and "Cybill," Greene scored a big hit as Sister Ruth, a rock singer turned TV evangelist, in the miniseries "Glory! Glory!" (HBO, 1989). Her next turn, as Kitty Packard in the ill-advised remake of "Dinner at Eight" (TNT, also 1989), was not a worthy follow-up.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1973
Performed the starring role of Chrissy in Joseph Papp's production of "In the Boom Boom Room"
1973
Made Broadway debut playing the lead in "Rachel Lily Rosenbloom"
1976
Cast as Jenny in "The Three Penny Opera" at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre; garnered Tony nomination
1976
Made film debut in Paul Mazursky's "Next Stop, Greenwich Village"
1977
TV debut in "Seventh Avenue" (ABC)
1982
Breakthrough stage role, as Audrey in the musical "Little Shop of Horrors"
1986
Reprised role of Audrey in feature version of the musical "Little Shop of Horrors"
1990
Cast in Anne Commire's Off-Broadway production of "Starting Monday"
1992
Appeared in Alan Menken's "Weird Romance"
1993
Cast as Mabel in "Three Men on a Horse" at the National Actors Theatre
1994
Had a small role as Natalie Portman's mother in Luc Besson's "The Professional"
1996
Acted in the romantic comedy "One Fine Day"
2003
Appeared opposite William H. Macy and Maria Bello in "The Cooler"
2007
Cast in the recurring role of Vivian Charles in the ABC series "Pushing Daisies"
2007
Voiced Dolly Gopher on the Cartoon Network animated series "Out of Jimmy's Head"
Companions
