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Magda Harout

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Magda Harout
Publicity Photo of Magda Harout
Born(1926-04-22)April 22, 1926
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 9, 2021(2021-09-09) (aged 95)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1959–2013 (film and television)

Magda L. Kardashian (née Harout, April 22, 1926 – September 9, 2021) was an American film, television and stage actress.

Life and career

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Harout was born in Los Angeles, California on April 22, 1926, to Armenian-born stage actor Yeghishe Harout, and his wife Gohar.[1] Her father was also the proprietor of the Ivar Theatre, which opened on the Hollywood Boulevard in 1951.[2] During the 1940s, Harout was a pageant queen, and in 1943 she sold war bonds to support U.S. troops during World War II.[3] On May 29, 1947, she married Robert Thomas Kardashian (1920–1998), an Army Air Forces veteran, at the First Congregation Church in Los Angeles. They later honeymooned in Hawaii.[4]

Her stage credits included Nine Armenians (1997) by Leslie Ayvazia[5] and The Kiss at City Hall (2000).[6] She received a number of awards for her appearances on stage,[7] including from LA Weekly, Drama-Logue and the LA Drama Critics Circle.[8]

In 1999, Harout played the role of Aunt Alma in the independent comedy film A Wake in Providence. Producer and writer Vincent Pagano cast Harout promptly after meeting her, stating that "Magda opened her mouth, and we immediately fell in love with her voice.".[9]

Harout spoke Russian, Armenian and French, and dyed her hair lighter in order not to be typecast in stereotypical ethnic roles. She also appeared in a number of television commercials.[7] Harout died in Woodland Hills, California on September 9, 2021, at the age of 95.[1][10]

Partial filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1959Crime & Punishment, USA
1963The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a DazeHand Maidenuncredited
1972Another Nice MessDuchess of Zanzig
1974HangupProprietor
1989Transylvania TwistPeasant Woman
1990Hollywood Boulevard IISelma
19919 1/2 Ninjas!Gladys Vogue
1993My LifeAunt Sonia
1993King B: A Life in the MoviesVirginia King
1996The ElevatorRussian Maid 1
1999A Wake in ProvidenceAunt Alma
2013Baggage ClaimWeisha

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1963General HospitalTherese
Dr. KildareMagda Kovar
1985MacGyverWoman
1988The Golden GirlsWoman
1989Quantum LeapMrs. Miriam Davitz
1990NewhartSmitty
Days of Our LivesMadame Blavatsky
1991SeinfeldStella
1995Saved by the Bell: The New ClassDean Eagleton
1993–1997The NannySarah / Madam Moleska
2002Without a TraceConnie
2003Six Feet UnderAnahid's Mother
2004Everybody Loves RaymondCousin Bella
2008Raising the BarMrs. Martha Delman
2010FringeNana Staller

References

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  1. 1 2 "Magda L. Harout obituary". Forever Missed. 2021-10-29. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  2. "Historic Los Angeles theater's shows have a plot once again". The Manhattan Mercury. 1991-03-13. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  3. "Foreign-born Citizens Prove Loyalty by Bonds". Los Angeles Times. 1943-05-18. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  4. "Voyage Planned by Kardashians". Los Angeles Times. 1947-05-30. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  5. "'Armenians' Is Generic Despite Trappings". Los Angeles Times. 1997-07-25. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  6. "The Kiss at City Hall". Variety. 2000-01-17. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  7. 1 2 "Leon Katz and Magda Harout". Joan Quinn Profiles. 2000-05-28. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  8. Bofshever, Michael (2006). Your Face Looks Familiar... How to Get Ahead as a Working Actor. ABC-CLIO, llc. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-325-00763-2. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  9. "A Wake in Providence, Production Notes". Indican Pictures. 1999. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  10. "Special 2022". SAG-AFTRA. p. 89. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
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