In addition to a star-studded cast, Ryan Murphy's latest show has a Golden Girl in it — sort of. The television mogul has a new show out today, November 4, All's Fair, a campy legal drama starring Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash, Glenn Close, Teyana Taylor, Kim Kardashian, and Naomi Watts, among others, as divorce attorneys. Over on the production side, it boasts Lynnie "Lyn" Greene as part of the team, as both an executive producer and writer.
Lyn ventured into acting while still in high school in Newton, Massachusetts, where she participated in school plays, and she was eventually selected to be part of Juilliard's Drama Department in 1972, as one of only ten women picked to study under instructors John Houseman and Marian Seldes, before finishing her B.A. from NYU in 1976.
The following year, she made her screen debut on the CBS comedy On Our Own as Maria Teresa Bonino opposite Bess Armstrong, and later originated the role of Emma Goldman in the original off-Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins in 1990.
On the screen, Lyn however is maybe best known for her four-episode stint as a younger version of Bea Arthur's character Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls. Though her appearance was brief, fans remember it fondly, and over on Reddit, have given the casting rave reviews over the years. "Wow! Sometimes, when they cast another actor to play the younger version of a character, they do it RIGHT!! This woman not only LOOKS like she could be Bea Arthur 30 years earlier, but she ACTS like Dorothy SPOT ON too! I looked it up, but she doesn't seem to be related to Bea either," one post from some months ago reads.
Others have similarly written: "She did such a magnificent job of mirroring Bea's Dorothy's movements, vocal inflection, and demeanor," and: "I remember wondering as well if she was related to Bea. Her mannerisms and looks were so spot on," as well as: "I always thought she was her daughter in real life because of the matching look and mannerisms."
In the decades since her memorable The Golden Girls appearance, Lyn has instead gone behind the camera, working as a writer, producer, and director — and All's Fair isn't the first time she collaborates with Ryan.
She previously also worked as both executive producer and occasional director for Nip/Tuck, which aired from 2003 to 2010, and followed the ins and outs of the fictional office of Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy, longtime friends who practice surgery (and live life) in two entirely different ways.
Lyn worked on the show with her longtime friend and collaborator Richard Levine, who she both grew up with and went to Juilliard with. In addition to Nip/Tuck, they have both worked on shows such as First Monday, Scoundrels, Boss, Masters of Sex, The Interestings, and most recently Doctor Odyssey, also from Ryan, and which aired on ABC for one season.