Latest news with #HollywoodGoldenAge
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The King and I' Star and Miss Universe Legend Maureen Hingert Dies at 88
The King and I actress Maureen Hingert, a star of Hollywood's Golden Age, has died at the age of 88 following health complications. The Sri Lankan actress and Miss Universe runner-up died Sunday of liver failure at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California, her daughter Marisa Zamparelli told The Hollywood Reporter. 'It was a beautiful and peaceful passing,' Marisa said. Hingert was widely known for her work in Walter Lang's 1956 film, The King and I, adapted from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical of the same name. The musical, which earned nine nominations at the Academy Awards and won five, notably starred Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, and Rita Moreno. Alongside The King and I, Hingert's resume also includes roles in Westerns like 1958's Gun Fever and 1959's Gunmen From Laredo. She also has appeared in dramas like 1956's Pillars of the Sky opposite Jeff Chandler and Dorothy Malone, and 1954's Elephant Walk starring Elizabeth Taylor. Apart from acting, Hingert also made a legacy as a pageant contestant when she finished second runner-up at the 1955 Miss Universe contest—the first in the competition's history to ever be televised. Hingert, who was born in Colombo, Ceylon in January 1937, entered the competition as Miss Ceylon—a historical name for Sri Lanka—and was the first from the country to ever reach the contest's finals. She was only 18 at the time. In 1958, Hingert married Mario Armond Zamparelli, a designer largely known for his work with business tycoon and aerospace engineer Howard Hughes. The couple welcomed three children together before their divorce in 1970. Alongside their daughter Maria, Hingert and Mario also welcomed daughters Gina Zamparelli and Andrea Zamparelli who respectively died in 2018 and 2009.
Metro
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The King and I actress and beauty pageant star Maureen Hingert dies aged 88
The King and I actress Maureen Hingert has died from health complications at the age of 88. The Sri Lankan star, who was best known for the 1956 Walter Lang musical, died on Sunday (June 29). Hingert's daughter Marisa Zamparelli confirmed the former Miss Universe runner-up died of liver failure at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California. 'It was a beautiful and peaceful passing,' Zamparelli told The Hollywood Reporter. A classic of the Hollywood Golden Age, The King and I was adapted from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical of the same name and earned nine nominations at the Oscars, winning five. Hingert starred as the royal wife alongside the likes of Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner – who won the Best Actor Academy Award – and Rita Moreno. Hingert was born in Colombo, Ceylon on January 9, 1937 and appeared in two films made in her home country: Circus Girl and the Elizabeth Taylor-starring Elephant Walk, both released in 1954. After she was crowned Miss Ceylon (the country now called Sri Lanka) in 1955, she went on to compete in the first Miss Universe pageant to be televised. As an 18-year-old, she became the first Ceylonese contestant to win an award at the competition when she finished second runner-up. After the Miss Universe pageant, Hingert secured a contract at Universal Studios as well as a role in Pillars of the Sky, a Western starring where she starred alongside Jeff Chandler and Dorothy Malone. Hingert went on to act in The King and I, as well as filling out her IMDb with credits in Westerns including 1958's Gun Fever and 1959's Gunmen From Laredo. More Trending In 1958, Hingert married Mario Armond Zamparelli, a designer who was largely known for his work with business magnate, aerospace engineer and occasional film producer Howard Hughes. Zamparelli was the Chief Executive Designer of Hughes' business empire. Hingert and Zamparelli had three children together, including Marisa who shared a statement when her mother died. Their two other daughters Gina Zamparelli and Andrea Zamparelli respectively died in 2018 and 2009. The couple divorced in 1970, after which Hingert remarried William J Ballard, who died in 2012. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Star Trek actor Peter-Henry Schroeder dies aged 90 MORE: BBC Play School presenter Donald Macdonald dies aged 86 MORE: Tulisa announces death of musician dad Steve Contostavlos in heartbreaking tribute
