Ruta Lee ( born Ruta Lee , born Ruta Mary Kilmonis ( born Ruta Mary Kilmonis ), born May 30, 1936) is a Canadian actress and dancer of Lithuanian descent. Canadian, US and Lithuanian citizen.
| Ruta lee | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | or |
| Place of Birth | |
| Citizenship | |
| Profession | actress |
| Career | 1953 - present time |
| IMDb | |
Biography
Ruta Mary Kilmonis was born in Montreal in a family of Lithuanian immigrants [2] . In 1948, her family moved to Los Angeles , where she entered Hollywood High School, where she began to appear in school plays, and take acting classes [3] . After leaving school, Ruta Lee studied at the University of California, Los Angeles . Before professionally taking up an acting career, she changed many professions, working as a cashier, ticket taker, as well as a seller of chocolates at Grauman’s Chinese Theater [2] [4] .
In 1953, she managed to find an agent in Hollywood who helped her make her debut on television in the TV series “Superman Adventures”. A year later, Ruta Lee first appeared on the big screen in the Stanley Donen musical “ Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ”, where she played one of the brides. In the future, the actress has repeatedly received proposals for filming a movie, but mainly for the supporting role. Subsequent films with her participation include such films as “Gaby” (1956), “ Funny Face ” (1957), “ Witness of the Prosecution ” (1957), “Marjorie Morningstar” (1958) and “Three Sergeants” (1962).
Throughout her career, Lee remained the majority of the television actress, appearing in more than a hundred television films and television series, including “ Perry Mason ”, “The Twilight Zone ”, “Hawaiian Eye”, “ Days of Our Lives ”, “ She Wrote the Murder ” and " Charles is in response ." In 2006, for her contribution to US television, the actress was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame [5] .
In 1964, the actress managed to free her grandmother Ludviza Kamandulis (who was there after the end of World War II) from a concentration camp in Siberia , directly appealing for mercy to Nikita Khrushchev [3] [4] .
Since 1976, Ruta Lee has been married to Webster B. Lau, Jr., a Texas restaurant owner, with whom she lives in their mansion in Palm Springs , California [3] [6] .
It is considered one of the world's most famous actresses of Lithuanian origin. He speaks Dzūki ( Dzukia is a historical region in the south of Lithuania). The first role in Hollywood received, having danced the Lithuanian polka. In 2006, President Valdas Adamkus was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit for Lithuania . In 2016, she came to Lithuania and told reporters that she was dreaming about a Lithuanian passport. In February 2019, she received the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania [7] .
Notes
- ↑ Internet Movie Database - 1990.
- ↑ 1 2 Schwartz, Harry (June 3, 1998). - "Asian slaw proves a treat for Ruta Lee." - Tulsa World . - Retrieved on 2009-06-22.
- 2 1 2 3 The Private Life & Times of Ruta Lee . - GlamourGirlsOfTheSilverScreen.com.
- ↑ 1 2 Lowry, Mark . Homecoming Queen , Fort Worth Star-Telegram (February 10, 2008). Released on March 28, 2008. (not available link)
- ↑ Ruta Lee gets a star on Hollywood Walk , USA Today (October 11, 2006). The appeal date is March 28, 2008.
- ↑ Ruta Lee official biography Archived October 30, 2007.
- ↑ Hollywood actress Rute Lee was granted Lithuanian citizenship , Parliamentary newspaper, 02/19/2019.