Ellen Greene

Ellen Greene (born February 22, 1951) is an American singer and actress. Greene has had a long and varied career as a singer, particularly in cabaret, as an actress and singer in numerous stage productions,[1] particularly musical theatre, as well as having performed in many films—notably Little Shop of Horrors, and television series. From 2007 to 2009, she starred as Vivian Charleson the ABC series Pushing Daisies.
== Personal life ==
Greene was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother was a guidance counselor, and her father was a dentist.[2] Greene is Jewish.[3] She attended W. Tresper Clarke High School in Westbury, New York. She spent summers at Cejwin Camps in Port Jervis, New York, where she performed in musical theatreproductions, including the role of Tzeitel in a 1966 production of Fiddler on the Roof. She had a relationship with puppeteer Martin P. Robinson.[4] [5] Her first marriage was to Tibor Hardik. She married Christian Klikovits on September 25, 2003; they have since divorced.[6]
== Career ==
Greene's career began as a nightclub singer in clubs such as The Brothers and Sisters, Continental Baths, Grand Finale, and Reno Sweeney's. She received rave reviews from critics such as Rex Reed, George Bell, and John S. Wilson. Around this time, she befriended the late Peter Allen. Her first starring role on Broadway was as the lead in the unsuccessful Broadway show Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It), which had 7 previews in 1973 but closed before officially opening.[7] She then played the starring role of Chrissy in Joseph Papp's production of In the Boom Boom Room at the Off-Broadway Public Theatre in November to December 1974.[8] Her reviews brought her to the attention of Paul Mazursky, who was at that time casting Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976).[9] She was cast in the role of Sarah, her first starring role in a film.[10]
Continuing her work with Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival, Greene next played the role of Jenny in The Three Penny Opera (1976) at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center, for which she was nominated for a 1977 Tony Award, Featured Actress In A Musical.[11]
In addition to a number of other productions with the New York Shakespeare Festival and numerous other companies, Greene formed a close working relationship with the WPA Theatre, where she met Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Their close, long-lasting friendship led to, among other productions, the role for which she is perhaps most-widely known, that of the hapless Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors (1982),[12] a role she reprised in the film version opposite Rick Moranis.
Greene has worked extensively in theater, such as the part of Suzanne/The Little Rose in The Little Prince and the Aviator (1981).[13][14]
She has worked in films such as I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (1982)[15], Léon, Talk Radio (1987)[16], and Pump Up the Volume (1990)[17]
She has appeared on television in, among other programs, Miami Vice, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, Cybill, Law & Order, Suddenly Susan, The X-Files, and Heroes. In 1983 she was the voice of Creeping Ivy in the animated TV special The Magic of Herself the Elf.
Greene released an album in 2004 entitled In His Eyes, on which she was accompanied by her husband and musical director, Christian Klikovits. Other work includes the role of Vivian Charles on the television series Pushing Daisies(2007)[18] and the voice of Dolly Gopher in the animated Out of Jimmy's Head. Greene was the voice of the Priscilla Presley type of character Goldie in the Don Bluth film Rock-a-Doodle (1991)[19].
In July and August 2009, Greene starred as Miss Adelaide in a concert version of the musical Guys and Dolls, which had a 3-day engagement at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. Her co-stars included Scott Bakula as Nathan Detroit, Brian Stokes Mitchell as Sky Masterson, and Jessica Biel as Sarah Brown.[20] In 2011, she appeared in five episodes on the soap opera The Young and the Restless as Primrose DeVille.[21]
Greene performed in the musical Betwixt! at the Trafalgar Studios in London's West End from July 26 to August 20, 2011.[22]
She appeared in two episodes of the new ABC Family show Bunheads (2012), alongside Sutton Foster and Kelly Bishop.[23] She portrayed Doctor Gale Macones in The Walking Dead Webisodes: The Oath[24]
In 2015, she reprised her signature role as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors in the staged concert at the New York City Center as part of their Encores! Off-Center Series.[25]
Greene performed in the 2016 Democratic National Convention's "Fight Song" video.[26]
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1976	Next Stop, Greenwich Village 	Sarah Roth 	
1982	I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can 	Karen Mulligan 	
1986	Little Shop of Horrors 	Audrey 	
1988	Me and Him 	Annette Uttanzi 	
1988	Talk Radio 	Ellen 	
1990	Pump Up the Volume 	Jan Emerson 	
1991	Rock-a-Doodle 	Goldie (voice) 	
1991	Stepping Out 	Maxine 	
1992	Fathers & Sons 	Judy 	
1994	Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult	Louise 	
1994	Wagons East 	Belle 	
1994	Léon: The Professional 	Mathilda's Mother	
1995	Killer: A Journal of Murder 	Elizabeth Wyatt 	
1996	An Occasional Hell 	Della 	
1996	One Fine Day 	Elaine Lieberman 	
1997	States of Control 	Carol 	
1998	Jaded 	Louise Smith 	
2001	Alex in Wonder 	Clarice 	
2003	The Cooler 	Doris 	
2003	Love Object 	Typing Supervisor	
2010	Privileged 	Mrs. Rothman 	Video
2016	Muddy Corman 	Dawn Denford 	
2017	Love's Last Resort 	Ms. Leigh 	
2018	The Untold Story 	Lydia 	Completed
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1977 	Seventh Avenue 	Paula Class 	TV miniseries
1978 	The Rock Rainbow 	Jess 	TV film
1983 	The Magic of Herself the Elf' 	Creeping Ivy (voice) 	TV film
1985 	Miami Vice 	Darlene 	"Made for Each Other"
1987 	Morning Maggie 	Maggie McAllister 	TV film
1988 	Superman 50th Anniversary 	Ariel Dickenson 	TV film documentary
1989 	Glory! Glory! 	Ruth 	TV film
1989 	CBS Summer Playhouse 	Sally Maggio 	"Road Show"
1989 	Dinner at Eight 	Kitty Packard 	TV film
1994 	The Adventures of Pete & Pete 	Abilene Jones 	"Time Tunnel"
1995 	Cybill 	Sharon 	"How Can I Call You My Ex-Husbands If You Won't Go Away?", "Look Who's Stalking"
1995 	Law & Order 	Karen Gaines 	"Bitter Fruit"
1997 	Dellaventura 	Elizabeth Brodkin 	"Above Reproach"
2000 	Suddenly Susan 	Harriet Graham 	"The Break Up"
2002 	The X-Files 	Vicki Louise Burdick 	"Improbable"
2002 	Crossing Jordan 	Mrs. Dunham 	"Secrets & Lies: Part 2"
2005 	Mystery Woman: Sing Me a Murder	Carly 	TV film
2005 	Fielder's Choice 	Jill 	TV film
2006 	Re-Animated 	Dolly Gopher (voice) 	TV film
2007–08 	Out of Jimmy's Head 	Dolly Gopher (voice) 	Main role
2007–2009	Pushing Daisies 	Vivian Charles 	Main role
2007–2009	Heroes 	Virginia Grey 	"The Hard Part", "I Am Sylar", "Tabula Rasa"
2009 	Batman: The Brave and the Bold 	Mrs. Manface (voice) 	"Night of the Huntress!"
2011 	The Young and the Restless 	Primrose DeVille 	Recurring role
2012 	Pound Puppies 	Gertrude Washburn (voice)	"Olaf in Love"
2012 	Bunheads 	Wiccan Friend 	"For Fanny", "Movie Truck"
2013 	Hannibal 	Mrs. Komeda 	"Sorbet"
2013 	The Walking Dead: The Oath 	Gale 	"Bond", "Choice"
2017 	Tangled: The Series 	Mrs. Sugarby (voice) 	"Painter's Block"
== Awards and nominations ==
Year	Award 	Category 	Nominated Work 	Result
1977	Tony Award 	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical[35]	The Threepenny Opera 	Nominated
1983	Drama Desk Award 	Outstanding Actress in a Musical[36] 	Little Shop of Horrors	Nominated
1983	Laurence Olivier Award	Best Actress in a Musical[37] 	Little Shop of Horrors	Nominated