Zohra Lampert was a talented Middle Eastern-looking actress with prominent cheekbones and a soothing voice. Despite her understated quality, she failed to achieve top-flight stardom, but still managed to deliver several affecting performances, particularly on television.
Born on May 13, 1931, in New York City, Zohra was the daughter of Russian-born hardware store owners. She attended the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan and later graduated from the University of Chicago. Before turning to acting, she was a member of Chicago's Second City comedy troupe and worked with the Lincoln Center Repertory Theatre.
Zohra made her Broadway debut in 1958 in the play "Maybe Tuesday" and went on to receive two consecutive Tony Award nominations for her performances in "Look: We've Come Through" and "Mother Courage and Her Children." She continued to work on Broadway, appearing in productions such as "After the Fall," "Lovers and Other Strangers," and "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window."
Zohra's film career was marked by a series of small but memorable roles, including her performances in "Odds Against Tomorrow," "Pay or Die!," and "Splendor in the Grass." However, despite her talent, she failed to achieve widespread recognition and was often overlooked in favor of more conventional leading ladies.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Zohra focused primarily on television, appearing in a range of shows including "Route 66," "The Defenders," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," and "Dr. Kildare." She also starred in several TV movies and was nominated for an Emmy Award for her guest performance on "Kojak."
In later years, Zohra continued to work in film and television, appearing in a range of projects including "The Hungry Ghosts," "Zenith," and "Sexual Secrets." She was also a spokesperson for Goya Beans in the 1980s and retired from acting in the late 1990s, only to return to the screen in the 2000s.
Zohra was married twice, first to Bill Alton, a co-founder of Second City, and then to radio host and singer Jonathan Schwartz in 2010.
