Born on February 22, 1951 in New York City, Ellen Greene’s career spans from singing in cabaret to appearances on stage, television and film. Her career began as a nightclub singer in different clubs, such as Grand Finale and The Brothers and Sisters, where her performances were applauded by critics. Her first Broadway appearance was in 1973, where she starred alongside the notorious flop Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don’t You Ever Forget It).
Greene’s first starring role, however, was as Chrissy in a production of In the Boom Boom Room. Her character—that of a somewhat na?ve woman whose ambitions of becoming a dancer led to her becoming a stripper in a Philadelphia club—earned positive reviews, and attracted the attention of film director Paul Mazursky, who cast her as the lead in his 1976 film Next Stop, Greenwich Village.
Greene continued appearing in different Broadway and off-Broadway plays, notably The Three Penny Opera, where her performance as Jenny earned her a Tony nomination. She also has a close working relationship with the WPA Theater, where she starred in some of her most memorable roles, including Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. Her performance here earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination. She would reprise the role in the 1986 film version, opposite Rick Moranis.
Greene also made guest appearances in television programs such as Miami Vice, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, Law & Order, Suddenly Susan and The X-Files. She continued to appear in numerous stage productions, such as The Little Prince and the Aviator, as well as films like I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can, L?on and Talk Radio. Her most recent appearance is in the ABC series Pushing Daisies, where she plays Vivian Charles, the aunt of Chuck Charles (Anna Friel) who became her surrogate parents after her parents’ deaths.
(Photo courtesy of ABC)