- Born
- Height5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- Ellen Greene was performing as a nightclub singer in several New York City clubs and treading the boards in New York City theater before her friend and mentor, filmmaker Paul Mazursky cast her in her first motion picture, Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), she was awarded the part of Sarah, opposite Lenny Baker. Four years after she originated the role of Audrey, the lovably ditzy, golden-hearted, sweetest masochist in musical-comedy history in Howard Ashman's 1982 Off-Broadway play, The Little Shop of Horrors, the actress reprised the role in Frank Oz's film adaptation, Little Shop of Horrors (1986) (in which she starred opposite Rick Moranis and Steve Martin). Up to the present time, this is the actress's most talked-about and celebrated role.
A few years later, Greene starred in the American drama film Talk Radio (1988), she played the part of Ellen, opposite Eric Bogosian and Alec Baldwin. Aside from the actress's work in these two motion pictures, and ABC's fantasy mystery comedy-drama television series, Pushing Daisies (2007), in which she and Swoosie Kurtz play Lily and Vivian Charles, the agoraphobic sisters. Greene has also provided her talent to Law & Order (1990), The X Files (1993), Heroes (2006), and The Young and the Restless (1973).
In July 2015, Greene brought back Audrey for a two-night revival of Little Shop of Horrors at New York City Center. She starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal (who replaced Moranis). The revival received rave reviews, and according to The New York Times, when Greene made her entrance on stage, she received the kind of entrance applause you might imagine greeting the resurrection of Maria Callas at the Metropolitan Opera for a beyond-the-grave performance of "Norma."- IMDb mini biography by: Anthony Ronald Vario
- SpousesChristian Klikovits(September 25, 2003 - 2007) (divorced)Tibor Hardik(June 17, 1990 - 2003) (divorced)
- Brown eyes
- Soft speaking voice, powerful singing voice.
- Her iconic role of Audrey, the kind-hearted blonde from Little Shop of Horrors
- Began her career in the early 70's as a cabaret singer in such famed New York City night spots as Reno Sweeney's in Greenwich Village.
- She is most famous as the lispy, bubble-headed blonde Audrey in the stage production of the cult favorite "Little Shop of Horrors," which she played for two years (1982-1984), then transferred to film with the same title Little Shop of Horrors (1986).
- Ellen Greene, who originated the role of Audrey in the 1982 off-Broadway production of the Ashman/Menken musical "Little Shop of Horrors" and repeated her performance in the 1986 movie version, stepped back into the role in 2015--at the age of 64--for a two-night concert version, part of the New York City Center's Encores! series. Her love interests, Seymour and Orin, were played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Taran Killam, who were 34 and 33, respectively. Interestingly, this was shortly after Gyllenhaal's sister Maggie had made headlines for revealing that she had recently been rejected for a part on the basis that at 37 she is "too old" to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man.
- She attended Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
- Was nominated for Broadway's 1977 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Musical) for a revival of "The Threepenny Opera."
- Life is going by, and if you don't do something about your dreams and make them a reality and start to love who you are as yourself, then you will not be able to embrace any of those dreams. Who you are is the immense magic.
- It's a very hard thing for all of us to accept ourselves at all the different stages - the horrible side, the wonderful side, the adorable side - and who you are as a grownup. And then to bring what you learned as a child to that grownup: that is the magic of creativity.
- The Public Theater, under Joseph Papp, was my real education. When you walked in there, you left your ego at the door. Everybody was talented.
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