Mindy Cohn
Mindy Cohn | |
---|---|
![]() Cohn in October 2019 | |
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | May 20, 1966
Alma mater | Loyola Marymount University |
Occupation(s) | Actress, voice actress, singer, comedian |
Years active | 1979–present |
Mindy Cohn (born May 20, 1966) is an American actress, voice actress, singer and comedian. She is known for her role as Natalie Green in the sitcom The Facts of Life,[1] and for being the voice of Velma Dinkley in the Scooby-Doo franchise from 2002 to 2015. She resides in Beverly Hills.[2]
Early life and career
Cohn was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1966, and was raised Jewish.[3] She was discovered by actress Charlotte Rae when Rae and the producers of The Facts of Life visited Westlake School in Holmby Hills, California, while doing research for the show.[4] Cohn was cast as Natalie Green and portrayed the character for the series' nine-year run (1979–1988), as well as in the reunion movie (2001).[5] Her work on The Facts of Life was honored when she was ranked 43rd on VH1's List of 100 Greatest Kid Stars.[6]
In 2013, she commented on Charlotte Rae's lobbying on her behalf: "Mr. Reynolds calls me into his office. It seemed that Charlotte Rae had fallen madly in love with me, in part because I reminded her of her best childhood friend Natalie — and I was irrepressible, charming, and hilarious. So she asked the producers to create a part for me in the show. Honestly, the whole thing seemed so fantastic I didn’t know what to think."[7]
After the show, she still remained friends with Rae. Two months before her acting mentor's 90th birthday in 2016, when Cohn was unavailable to attend The Facts of Life reunion interview, she sent Rae a video message praising her decades-long friend for teaching her the craft of acting.[8]
Education
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2015) |
Cohn has a degree in cultural anthropology from Loyola Marymount University[9] and is a founding member of the weSpark cancer support center.[10]
Later career
Cohn has continued her acting career outside of The Facts of Life. In 1984 she had a leading role as the daughter alongside Stockard Channing in RKO's video production of "Table Settings". In 1986, she appeared in The Boy Who Could Fly as next-door neighbor Geneva. She also had guest appearances in other popular TV shows, including Charles in Charge (playing Buddy's sister Bunny, a young alcoholic, in the 1988 episode "Bottle Baby"), and two guest appearances in the second season of the cop drama 21 Jump Street (playing Rosa in the 1987 episode "Christmas In Saigon" and the 1988 episode "Chapel of Love"). In 2004 Cohn appeared in the WB comedy The Help. In 2010, Cohn played the role of Violet, the leading character in Casper Andreas's movie Violet Tendencies, and appeared on the Season 8 premiere of TLC's What Not to Wear on October 29, 2010. She appeared in an episode of Hot in Cleveland on July 13, 2011, on The Secret Life of the American Teenager on March 26, 2012, and in The Middle on May 21, 2014.
Cohn said that one of the reasons she did The Facts of Life Reunion in 2001 was that the actresses in the long-running 1980s series have been wrongly denied a cut of the syndication and DVD profits from the series. "We all never got paid and still don't get paid for DVDs and reruns ... we felt we were owed."[11]
Cohn reprised her Velma Dinkley role in Lego Dimensions.[12]
Cohn is currently providing voiceover for HGTV's Best. Pool. Ever.
Personal life
Cohn is unmarried and has no children.[13][14][15] She is also a strong supporter of the LGBT community and has stated that she is proud to be a "fag hag."[14][15]
Accolades
In 2003 Cohn was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on the TV show What's New, Scooby-Doo?, for which she provided the voice of Velma Dinkley.[16] She reprised her role of Velma on Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and in several Scooby-Doo movies.
She received a positive notice from Variety for her role in the 2007 Daniel Waters' comedy film Sex and Death 101.[17]
Filmography
Actress
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979–88 | The Facts of Life | Natalie Green | Main cast (202 episodes) |
1980–81 | Diff'rent Strokes | Episodes: "The Slumber Party", "The Older Man" | |
1982 | The Facts of Life Goes to Paris | TV film | |
1985 | Double Trouble | Janie Blakemore | Episode: "Funny Girl" |
1986 | The Boy Who Could Fly | Geneva Goodman | Feature film |
1987 | The Facts of Life Down Under | Natalie Green | TV film |
1987–88 | 21 Jump Street | Rosa Banducci | Episodes: "Christmas in Saigon", "Chapel of Love" |
1988 | Charles in Charge | Bunny Lembeck | Episode: "Bottle Baby" |
1991 | Dream On | Marie | Episode: "Toby or Not Toby" |
1993–94 | The Second Half | Maureen Tucker | Main cast (13 episodes) |
1999 | Suddenly Susan | Cindy | Episode: "Revenge of the Gophers" |
The Chimp Channel | Candy Yuponce (voice) | Main cast (13 episodes) | |
2001 | Alone with a Stranger | Toni | Feature film |
Virtually Casey | Joanne Collins | TV film | |
The Facts of Life Reunion | Natalie Green | TV film | |
2002 | Under the Gun | Gale | Feature film |
2003 | One on One | Ms. Sorel | Episode: "Daddy, I Don't Need an Edumacation" |
Swing | Martha | Feature film | |
2004 | The Help | Maggie, the Cook | Main cast (7 episodes) |
2005 | The Adventures of Tango McNorton: Licensed Hero | Lunch Lady | Short film |
The Third Wish | Bridgette | Feature film | |
2007 | Sex and Death 101 | Trixie | Feature film |
2010 | Violet Tendencies | Violet | Feature film |
2011 | Hot in Cleveland | Cassie | Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor" |
2012 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | Dylan's Mom | Recurring role (8 episodes) |
2013 | Holiday Road Trip | Artie | TV film |
2014 | The Middle | Kimberly | Episode: "The Wonderful World of Hecks" |
Operation Marriage | Kathy | Short film | |
Bones | Valentina | Episode: "The Puzzler in the Pit" | |
FreakMe | April | TV pilot episode (unaired) | |
2015 | You're Killing Me | Karen | Feature film |
2016 | Worst Cooks in America | Herself (contestant) | Season 9: Celebrity Edition 2 (8 episodes) |
A Cinderella Christmas | Zelda | TV film | |
2017 | Hollywood Dirt | Thelma | Feature film |
2018 | Fly | Air Traffic Controller Camille Fields | Recurring role (8 episodes) |
Long Island Medium | Herself | ||
2019 | You Light Up My Christmas | Rose | TV Movie features surviving original cast of The Facts of Life. [18] Not a "The Facts of Life" Christmas movie. |
2020 | A Nice Girl Like You | Pricilla Blum | Feature film |
Voice work
Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999–2001 | The Kids from Room 402 | Nancy Francis | TV series (34 episodes) |
2002–2006 | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Velma Dinkley | TV series (41 episodes) |
2003 | Dexter's Laboratory | Librarian | Episode: "Voice Over/Blonde Leading the Blonde/Comic Stripper" |
Kim Possible | Ms. Whisp | Episode: "Naked Genius" | |
2004 | Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster | Velma Dinkley | Direct-to-video film |
2005 | Aloha, Scooby-Doo! | Direct-to-video film | |
Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy? | Direct-to-video film | ||
2006 | Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy! | Direct-to-video film | |
Family Guy | Natalie Green | Episode: "Prick Up Your Ears" | |
Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! | Velma Dinkley | Episodes: "Shags to Riches" and "Almost Ghosts" | |
2007 | Chill Out, Scooby-Doo! | Direct-to-video film | |
2008 | Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King | Direct-to-video film | |
2009 | Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword | Direct-to-video film | |
2010 | Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo | Direct-to-video film | |
2010–13 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | TV series (52 episodes) | |
2010 | Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare | Direct-to-video film | |
2011 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Velma Dinkley / Ticket Girl | Episode: "Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!" |
Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur | Velma Dinkley | Direct-to-video film | |
2012 | Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire | Direct-to-video film | |
Scooby-Doo! Spooky Games | Direct-to-video short | ||
Big Top Scooby-Doo! | Direct-to-video film | ||
Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays | Direct-to-video short | ||
2013 | Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon | Direct-to-video film | |
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright | Direct-to-video film | ||
Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Scarecrow | Direct-to-video short | ||
Scooby-Doo! Mecha Mutt Menace | Direct-to-video short | ||
2014 | Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery | Direct-to-video film | |
Scooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals | Direct-to-video short | ||
Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy | Direct-to-video film | ||
2015 | Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness | Direct-to-video film | |
Scooby-Doo! and the Beach Beastie | Direct-to-video short | ||
Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery | Direct-to-video film |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mayhem | Velma Dinkley | Voice role |
2005 | Scooby-Doo! Unmasked | Voice role | |
2006 | Scooby-Doo! Who's Watching Who? | Voice role | |
2009 | Scooby-Doo! First Frights | Voice role | |
2010 | Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Swamp | Voice role | |
2015 | Lego Dimensions | Voice role |
References
- ^ "This Weeks Picks". The Washington Post. 2004-03-07. p. Y03.
- ^
"The Today Show". 2006-05-09.
{{cite episode}}
: External link in
(help); Missing or empty|transcripturl=
|series=
(help); Unknown parameter|transcripturl=
ignored (|transcript-url=
suggested) (help) - ^ Cohn, Mindy (2013-05-07). "How I Completely Accidentally Serendipitously Became A Teenage Sitcom Star". Huffington Post.
- ^ Molly Snyder Edler. "Milwaukee Talks Charlotte Rae". www.onmilwaukee.com. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ "Facts of Life remain the Same". Toronto Star. 2001-11-18. p. D02.
- ^ "VH1 Names Gary Coleman the Greatest Kid Star". prnewswire.com. 2005-06-05.
- ^ "Why Me? Why Now? Why Not". Huffington Post.com. May 7, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "Home & Family's "Facts of Life" Reunion". Hallmark Channel.com. February 15, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "ABC Presskit for "The Facts of Life Reunion" movie". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ "Our Founders". Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
- ^ Greg Hernandez (2008-03-11). "Mindy Cohn: Greg catches up w/Natalie from "The Facts of Life"". dailynews.com. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
- ^ Traveller's Tales. Lego Dimensions. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Scene: Closing credits, 4:45 in, Voiceover Talent.
- ^ Cohn, Mindy (July 7, 2013). "Why Me? Why Now? Why Not? | Mindy Cohn". The Huffington Post. AOL. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Voss, Brandon (July 8, 2010). "No Shrinking Violet | Advocate.com". The Advocate. Here Media. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Paull, Anthony (March 3, 2011). "PrideSource -". PrideSource. Pride Source Media Group. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ "30th Daytime Emmy Awards". Washington Post. 2003-05-01. p. Y06.
- ^ Eisner, Ken (2007-06-20). "Sex and Death 101". www.variety.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor (August 12, 2019). "TV Premiere Dates (2019-20) - Metacritic". Retrieved November 21, 2019.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help)
External links
- Mindy Cohn at IMDb
- 1966 births
- Living people
- American child actresses
- American female singers
- American film actresses
- Actresses from Los Angeles
- American television actresses
- American voice actresses
- American video game actresses
- Activists from California
- Comedians from California
- Harvard-Westlake School alumni
- Jewish American actresses
- Jewish American comedians
- Jewish singers
- LGBT rights activists from the United States
- Loyola Marymount University alumni
- 20th-century American comedians
- 21st-century American comedians
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses