Annie Golden

Annie Golden (born October 19, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She first came to prominence as the lead singer of the punk band the Shirts from 1975 to 1981 with whom she recorded three albums. She began her acting career as Mother in the 1977 Broadway revival of Hair; later taking on the role of Jeannie Ryan in the 1979 film version of the musical. Other notable film credits include Desperately Seeking Susan, Baby Boom (1987), Longtime Companion (1989), Strictly Business (1991), Prelude to a Kiss (1992), 12 Monkeys (1995), The American Astronaut (2001), It Runs in the Family (2003), Adventures of Power (2008), and I Love You Phillip Morris (2009).

Golden is best known for portraying mute Norma Romano in the Netflix comedy-drama streaming television series Orange Is the New Black from 2013 to 2019. In 1985–1986 she appeared as the recurring character Tommy in Miami Vice, and from 1989 to 1992 she portrayed the recurring role of Margaret O'Keefe on the sitcom Cheers. She has appeared as a guest star on several television programs, including American Playhouse, Dear John, Father Dowling Mysteries, High Maintenance, Law & Order, and True Blue among others.

She starred as Cinderella's Mother, Granny, and the Giant's Wife in the 2022 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods .

Early life Golden was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. When she met Art LaMonica in 1971, he invited her to join his group called Lackeys & Schemers.

Career Music Golden began her career as the lead singer of the Shirts. The band headlined CBGB in the late 1970s and recorded three albums for Capitol Records, The Shirts (1978), Street Light Shine (1979) and Inner Sleeve (1980). During the early 1990s she performed as part of the duo Golden Carillo with Frank Carillo. They released three albums, Fire in Newtown (1992), Toxic Emotion (1994), and Back for More (1997). She returned to the Shirts, but she has also performed solo and with a band. In 1984, her song "Hang Up the Phone" was featured on the soundtrack of the film Sixteen Candles. She performs a revue of songs from her stage career along with originals called Annie Golden's Velvet Prison. Golden appeared at Phish's New Year Eve concert on December 31, 2023, where she portrayed the grandmother of the character Jimmy from the song "Harpua" during a performance of their Gamehendge song cycle.

Film and TV While with the Shirts, Golden was discovered by Miloš Forman, who gave her a part in Hair. In 2003 she joined other original off-Broadway cast members in a Reprise! (Los Angeles) concert production of Assassins. In 2007, she was stand-by for the two comic villain roles in the musical Xanadu on Broadway.

She played Lucy Schmeeler, the whiny friend with the chronic cold, in the off-Broadway Public Theater production at the Delacorte Theater of On the Town in August 1997. She also appeared in the lab production of the musical Hit the Lights! in 1993 at the Vineyard Theatre.

Golden has appeared in three separate versions of Hair: a Broadway revival in 1977, the motion picture in 1979 and a special benefit performance concert in 2004. Golden starred with Peter Scolari in the world premiere of The Nutcracker and I from November 29 to December 31, 2011, at the George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Comically playing the Sugar Rush Fairy (and three other roles) in this musical comedy featuring the music of Tchaikovsky and lyrics by Gerard Alessandrini, she and Scolari were compared in one review to the team of Imogene Coca and Sid Caesar.

Golden appeared in the musical Violet starring Sutton Foster on Broadway in 2014.

From May 4–15, 2022, Golden appeared as Cinderella's Mother/Granny/Giant's Wife in the Encores! production of Into the Woods at the New York City Center. The production transferred to the St. James Theatre on Broadway, opening on June 28, 2022. Golden stayed with the production until its closing on January 8, 2023.

Since 2005, Golden has frequently appeared in stage concerts for composer Joe Iconis. She starred in the Barrington Stage Company production of his Broadway Bounty Hunter, with the book by Iconis, Lance Rubin and Jason "Sweettooth" Williams, directed by Julianne Boyd, which opened on August 13, 2016. This role was written by Iconis for Golden; he said of Golden: "She's essentially playing a fictionalized version of herself, so she's been so helpful... Her personality has imbued the whole spirit of the show." The Variety reviewer wrote: "Golden does woebegone really well....Surprisingly, however, the show underserves its star... except for a rousing, climactic paean to “the blood... back in my veins,” the material isn't there... There's only limited chance to see her take full command of stage and story." The Boston Globe called the musical "rowdy, funny, cheerfully cockeyed." A concert version of Broadway Bounty Hunter, starring Golden, was presented at Joe's Pub in New York City on September 26, 2016. She starred in Broadway Bounty Hunter at the off-Broadway Greenwich House Theater in July 2019.

Acting credits Filmography YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes1979 Hair Jeannie Ryan Miloš Forman 1985 Desperately Seeking Susan Band Singer Susan Seidelman Key Exchange Val Barnet Kellman Streetwalkin' Phoebe Joan Freeman Hometown Kim Friedman TV series (1 episode)1985–86 Miami Vice Prostitute at police station (Episode The Prodigal Son). Tommy Paul Michael Glaser, Craig Bolotin & John Nicolella TV series (3 episodes)1986 Class of '86 Jerry Adler American Playhouse Caroline Luis Soto TV series (1 episode) Down to Earth Starr Gardner Russ Petranto TV series (1 episode)1987 Forever, Lulu Diana Amos Kollek Love at Stake Abigail Baxter John Moffitt Baby Boom Nanny Charles Shyer 1989 Longtime Companion Heroin Addict Norman René Dear John Sylvia John Rich TV series (1 episode) True Blue Connie Tollin William A. Graham & George Mendeluk TV series (2 episodes)1989–92 Cheers Margaret O'Keefe James Burrows TV series (4 episodes)1990 Father Dowling Mysteries Florence Galthworthy Ron Satlof TV series (1 episode)1991 Strictly Business Sheila Kevin Hooks 1992 This Is My Life Marianne Nora Ephron Prelude to a Kiss Tin Market Musician Norman René (2) 1995 The Pebble and the Penguin Marina Don Bluth & Gary Goldman Lead role 12 Monkeys Woman Cabbie Terry Gilliam 1996 One Way Out Eve Kevin Lynn 1997 Arresting Gena Sally Hannah Weyer My Divorce The middle sister Andrea Clark 1998 Barriers Phil Alan Baxter 1999 Law & Order Frances Padden Constantine Makris TV series (1 episode) Third Watch Amber Gastin Christopher Chulack TV series (1 episode)2001 The American Astronaut Cloris Cory McAbee Mourning Glory Mediator Barrett Esposito Third Watch Crazy Woman Jesús Salvador Treviño TV series (1 Episode)2002 Delayed Sarah Charles Ricciardi 2003 It Runs in the Family Deb Fred Schepisi Trouble in Paradise Dolores Dave Coleman Short2004 Messengers Alice Farmer Philip Farha Temptation Nora Mark Tarlov 2005 Tom and Francie Francie Patrick Michael Denny Live at Five Annie Averie Storck Short2006 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Varla Arthur W. Forney TV series (1 episode)2007 Brooklyn Rules Dottie Michael Corrente Sexina: Popstar P.I. Vera's Mom Erik Sharkey 2008 Adventures of Power Farrah Ari Gold 2009 I Love You Phillip Morris Eudora Mixon Glenn Ficarra & John Requa 2009–10 Wiener & Wiener Deena Dante Russo TV series (4 episodes)2012 The Trouble with Cali Mrs. Katie Saperstein Paul Sorvino NYC 22 Unmarried Woman Martha Mitchell TV series (1 episode)2013–19 Orange Is the New Black Norma Romano Several TV series (32 episodes)Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series2015 American Songbook at NJPAC David Stern TV series 2016 Miles Rhonda Roth Nathan Adloff 2017 Difficult People Flipper Jeffrey Walker TV series2018 One Dollar Craig Zobel TV series2019 High Maintenance Barbie Katja Blichfeld TV series (1 episode)2020 Run Marjorie Kate Dennis TV series (1 episode)2022 New Amsterdam Kate Carnegie Michael Slovis TV series (1 episode) Evil Traci Peter Sollett TV series (1 episode)2023 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Marge Daniel Palladino, Amy Sherman-Palladino & Scott Ellis TV series (3 episodes)

Theatre