Arlene Golonka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arlene Golonka
Golonka on Mayberry R.F.D. in 1969
Born	Arlene Leanore Golonka (1936-01-23)January 23, 1936 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	May 31, 2021(2021-05-31) (aged 85) West Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1958–2005
Spouse(s)	Christopher Michael Haenel (m. 19??; div. 19??) Mike Longo ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1967)​ Larry Delaney ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1977)​

Arlene Leanore Golonka (born January 23, 1936 – died May 31, 2021) was an American actress. She was famous for playing Millie Hutchins on The Andy Griffith Show and Millie Swanson on Mayberry R.F.D.. Arlene often played cheerful and unique blonde characters in movies, TV shows, and plays.

Early Life of Arlene Golonka

Arlene Golonka was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 23, 1936. Her family had Polish roots. Before becoming an actress, she worked as a waitress.

Arlene Golonka's Acting Career

Arlene Golonka started acting when she was a teenager. She performed in a summer theater group. She also gained experience at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.

Broadway Plays and Early Success

Arlene became a member of The Actors Studio. Her first big play was The Night Circus in 1958. It opened in New Haven, Connecticut, and then moved to Broadway.

Even though that play closed quickly, Arlene kept working. She appeared in many other Broadway shows. These included Take Me Along with Jackie Gleason. She was also in Neil Simon's first Broadway play, Come Blow Your Horn. Another important role was in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Kirk Douglas.

In 1965, Arlene also recorded a comedy album called You Don't Have to Be Jewish.

Moving to Television and Voice Acting

In 1967, Arlene moved to Los Angeles to act in television. She appeared in many popular TV shows. Some of these include Get Smart, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and M*A*S*H. She was also in All in the Family, The Andy Griffith Show, and Mayberry R.F.D.. Later, she appeared in Murder, She Wrote and The King of Queens.

Arlene was also a talented voice actress. She voiced "Debbie" in the cartoon Speed Buggy. She also lent her voice to other animated series. These included The New Yogi Bear Show and The New Scooby-Doo Movies.

Film Roles

Arlene Golonka had supporting roles in about 30 films. Some of her movies include Hang 'Em High (1968), a Western film. She also appeared in Airport '77 (1977) and the comedy The In-Laws (1979). Other films were Love At First Bite (1980) and My Tutor (1983).

Personal Life

When Arlene lived in New York City, her roommate was the actress Valerie Harper.

Arlene Golonka was married and divorced three times. Her husbands included jazz musician Mike Longo and actor Larry Delaney.

Later Years and Passing

After moving to Los Angeles, Arlene lived in West Hollywood, California. She passed away on May 31, 2021, at the age of 85. Her death was due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Arlene Golonka para niños