Ellen Greene
Greene inGlory! Glory! (1989)
Born	(1951-02-22)February 22, 1951 (age 74) New York City, U.S.
Occupations	Actress singer
Years active	1973–present
Spouses	Tibor Hardik ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1997)​ Christian Klikovits ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2007)​

Ellen Greene (born February 22, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She 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 and television series. Her best-known roles are as Audrey in the original stage musical andfilm adaptation ofLittle Shop of Horrors, and asVivian Charles in the ABC television seriesPushing Daisies.

Greene was born inBrooklyn, New York. Her mother was aguidance counselor, and her father was adentist.^[2][3] She attendedW. Tresper Clarke High School inWestbury, New York. She spent summers atCejwin Camps inPort Jervis, New York, where she performed in musical theatre productions.^[4] Her first marriage was to Tibor Hardik, and she married Christian Klikovits on September 25, 2003; both marriages ended in divorce.^[5]

Greene's career began as anightclub singer in clubs such as The Brothers and Sisters,Continental Baths, Grand Finale, and Reno Sweeney's. She received rave reviews from critics such asRex Reed, George Bell, and John S. Wilson.^{[citation needed]} Around this time, she befriendedPeter Allen. She first starred onBroadway in the title role ofRachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It), which had 7 previews in 1973 and closed before officially opening.^[6] She then played Chrissy inJoseph Papp's production ofIn the Boom Boom Roomoff-Broadway at thePublic Theatre in November and December 1974.^[7] InNext Stop, Greenwich Village (1976),^[8] She played Sarah, her first starring role in a film.^[9]

Continuing her work with Papp'sNew York Shakespeare Festival, Greene next played the role of Jenny inThe Threepenny Opera (1976) at theVivian Beaumont Theater inLincoln Center, for which she was nominated for the 1977Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.^[10] She continued to appear in other productions with the New York Shakespeare Festival and elsewhere, such as the part of Suzanne/The Little Rose inThe Little Prince and the Aviator (1981).^[11][12] At the WPA Theater, she metHoward Ashman andAlan Menken. Their friendship led to her playing the role of Audrey from 1982 in the long-running off-Broadway premiere ofLittle Shop of Horrors, which she reprised inthe 1986 film version oppositeRick Moranis.^[13] Greene returned to Broadway as Mabel in a revival ofThree Men on a Horse (1993).^[14]

She has worked in films such asI'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (1982),^[15]Talk Radio (1987),^[16] andPump 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, andHeroes.^{[citation needed]} In 1983 she was the voice of Creeping Ivy in the animated TV specialThe Magic of Herself the Elf.^{[citation needed]} Greene was the voice of Goldie in theDon Bluth filmRock-a-Doodle (1991).^[18]

Greene released an album in 2004 entitledIn His Eyes, on which she was accompanied by her husband and musical director, Christian Klikovits. Other work includes the role ofVivian Charles on the television seriesPushing Daisies (2007)^[19] She played the voice of Dolly Gopher in the animatedOut of Jimmy's Head.^{[citation needed]}

In July and August 2009, Greene starred as Miss Adelaide in a concert version of the musicalGuys and Dolls, which had a 3-day engagement at theHollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.^[20] In 2011, she appeared in five episodes on the soap operaThe Young and the Restless asPrimrose DeVille.^[21] She appeared in the musicalBetwixt! at theTrafalgar Studios in London'sWest End from July 26 to August 20, 2011.^[22]

Greene appeared in two episodes of theABC Family showBunheads (2012).^[23] She portrayed Doctor Gale Macones inThe Walking Dead Webisodes: The Oath.^[24] In 2015, Greene again played Audrey inLittle Shop of Horrors at New York City Center in theEncores! Off-Center Series staged concert.^[25]

Greene performed in the2016 Democratic National Convention's "Fight Song" video.^[26]

Sources: Internet Off-Broadway Database;^[28] Playbill Vault^[29]

• Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It) (1973) (never officially opened)^[30]
• In the Boom Boom Room (1974) (Off-Broadway)
• The Threepenny Opera (1976) (Broadway)
• The Threepenny Opera (1977) (Delacorte Theater) (return engagement)
• Funny Face (1978) (Studio Arena Theater)
• Teeth 'n' Smiles (1979) (Off-Broadway)^[31]
• Wake Up, It's Time to Go to Bed (1979) (Off-Broadway) by Carson Kievman[2]Archived March 12, 2022, at theWayback Machine
• They're Playing Our Song (1979) (US national tour)^[32]
• The Little Prince and the Aviator (1982) (never officially opened)
• Little Shop of Horrors (1982) (Off-Off Broadway showcase, Off-Broadway and London)
• Starting Monday (1990) (Off-Broadway)
• Weird Romance (1992) (Off-Broadway)
• Three Men on a Horse (1993) (Broadway)
• Oliver! (1997) (North Shore Music Theatre)
• The First Picture Show (1999) (San Francisco)^[33]
• A Broadway Diva Christmas (2005) (Women's Project)^[34]
• Guys and Dolls (2009) (Hollywood Bowl concert)^[20]
• Betwixt! (2011) (London)^[35][22]
• Little Shop of Horrors (2015) (Encores! Off-Center)

• Official website
• Ellen Greene atIMDb
• Ellen Greene at theInternet Broadway Database
• Ellen Greene at theInternet Off-Broadway Database (archived)

• 20th-century American actresses
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• American television actresses
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• People from Nassau County, New York
• Nightclub performers
• Singers from New York City
• 21st-century American Jews

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