Arlene Golonka Biography – 5 Key Facts You Need To Know

Quick Facts

Arlene Golonka was among the crop of actresses who launched their acting careers back in the late 1950s. Coming from a family with great interest in acting and singing, it took Golonka little or nothing to start paddling her own canoe in the industry, especially with her parents being massively supportive of her career choice.

Her acting talent was first felt on the stage before she eventually started appearing in films and television productions. While her stint on Broadway lasted, the actress performed together with notable actors and actresses as well as in renowned playhouses. Here are five key facts you need to know about the American actress.

Arlene Golonka – Biography

Arlene was comfortably raised by her parents after her birth on the 23rd of January 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States of America. Her full name is Arlene Leanore Golonka and she is of Polish descent. Being a private individual, Golonka has not really spoken much about her background and personal life, thus the names of her parents, information about her relations, siblings, childhood and early life are missing in the picture.

Regarding her education, the celebrated actress was educated at the Chicago-based institution Goodman Theatre as well as a New York-City based acting school where she was tutored alongside notable performers such as American theatre practitioner and actress Uta Hagen, American acting teacher/actor Sanford Meisner, and Polish-American theater practitioner, actor, and director Lee Strasberg.

5 Key Facts You Need To Know

1. Career

Arlene Golonka’s childhood was dominated by acting and singing classes. Upon hitting nineteen, she decided to formally go into full-time acting and kicked off starring in Broadway productions before eventually turning professional in a summer-stock troupe. Golonka scored her first major role in the production The Night Circus which was performed on the 17th of November 1958, at the Shubert Theater in New Haven, Connecticut.

Her other stage credits include Take Me Along (from late 1959 to late 1960), Come Blow Your Horn (February 1961-October 1962), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (November 1963 -January 1964), You Don’t Have to Be Jewish (a comedy album called, 1965). Arlene Golonka has also done some productions together with performers such as , Ben Gazzara, Water Pidgeon, Jackie Gleason, and Robert Morse and they were nothing short of impressive.

In the television industry, the actress has a number of credits under her belt. She began scoring roles in television series after she moved to Los Angeles in the year 1967. Since then, she has had roles in numerous series which include but are not limited to All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The San Pedro Beach Bums, She Wrote, One Day at a Time, Sunset Beat, Mayberry R.F.D., Matlock, Cannon, Maude, The Flying Nun, The King of Queens, Get Smart, Car 54, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Rockford Files, The Andy Griffith Show, among others.

On the big screen, the actress has portrayed different characters in films like Love At First Bite (1980), Hang ‘Em High (1968), My Tutor (1983), Penelope (1966), A Family Affair (2001), Welcome to Hard Times (1967), The Elevator (1974), The Last Married Couple in America (1980), Airport ’77 (1977), and many others. In addition to acting, she has done some voice works in animated series such as Yogi’s Treasure Hunt, Speed Buggy, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, The New Yogi Bear Show, and Capitol Critters.

2. Teaching Stint

Having achieved her share of the much need experience, Arlene Golonka currently teaches acting at a yet to be undisclosed institution. She scored the job after her retirement from acting in the year 2005. There is no doubt that the generation of upcoming actors could use a drop of wisdom from her.

3. Family Facts

Golonka is currently not in a marital relationship with any man but she has been in three failed marriages. The name of her first husband is Michael Longo, whom she married in the year 1963 and divorced in 1967.

Her second attempt at marriage was with actor Larry Delaney, whom she married in the year 1969. The pair went their separate ways in 1977, which led Arlene to marry for the third time, this time to Christopher Michael Haenel. Like the previous relationships, Haenel and Arlene Golonka only spent fews years together before calling it quits. There are records indicating she gave birth to her own children but none has been authenticated.

3. Net Worth

The actress made quite a fortune from her acting career during her active years in the industry. While figures on her annual income are not readily available for public consumption at the moment, her net worth is estimated at $5 million.

5. Height 

Arlene Golonka is not the tallest celebrity you would come across, she stands at a height of 5 feet 4 inches. However, information about her weight and measurements of her physical body features are not available online.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.