Person Biography:
Lila Kedrova was a Russian actress who spent most of her career as an expatriate. Born in Petrograd, Russia (now Saint Petersburg),she claimed to have been born in 1918, although her actual birth year may have been several years earlier. She wanted to appear younger than her actual age.
Kedrova's family was involved in the arts, with her father, Nikolay Kedrov Sr., being an opera singer and liturgical music composer, and her mother, Sofia Gladkaya, being an opera singer and teacher at the Conservatoire de Paris. Her older brother, Nikolay Kedrov Jr., was a composer, and her sister, Irene Kedroff, was a soprano.
The Kedrov family left Russia in 1922, settling in Berlin, Germany, before moving to France in 1928. Kedrova made her theatrical debut in 1932 with the Moscow Art Theatre touring company and her film debut in the 1938 historical drama "Ultimatum."
Kedrova appeared exclusively in French theatre and film until 1964, when she appeared in the English-language film "Zorba the Greek," for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This was her only Academy Award nomination and the first time a Russian actress had won the award.
Kedrova's next notable role was that of Countess Kuchinska in the 1966 political thriller "Torn Curtain." She also found success in American theatre, playing Fraulein Schneider in the West End stage production of "Cabaret" in 1968, alongside Judi Dench.
Kedrova appeared in Hollywood films for several years, mostly typecast in the role of an eccentric or insane woman. Her last film appearance was in the 1993 international co-production "La prossima volta il fuoco." She retired from acting due to her struggles with Alzheimer's disease.
Kedrova died in February 2000 at her residence in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, due to pneumonia. She was cremated, and her ashes were buried in the Kedrov family grave at the Russian cemetery in Paris.
