Estonian-American actress
Narda Onyx | |
|---|---|
Onyx in an episode of One Step Beyond () | |
| Born | ()20 December Estonia |
| Died | 18 March () (aged&#;59) Ventura, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years&#;active | – |
| Spouse | George Virand |
Narda Onyx (20 December &#; 18 March [1]) was an Estonian-born naturalized American film and televisionactress.
At the age of eleven, Onyx escaped along with her family (her grandparents, mother, and two-year-old brother) through Soviet lines and deceived her would-be German captors near the end of World War II. The Onyx family made their way to the American occupation forces at Bonn, Germany, and sought refuge with the Swedish Red Cross. She and her mother worked as waitresses for the American forces.[2] Later the family moved to Sweden, where Narda resumed her acting career. She travelled to England, where she worked for the Old Vic Company.[3] She moved to Canada in , received a US work permit in , and then received a US residency permit in [3]
She appeared in dozens of supporting roles on television and in motion pictures during the s and s. Shows in which she appeared include The Beverly Hillbillies, Have Gun – Will Travel, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. In addition, she played Gretl Braun in Hitler () and Maria Frankenstein in Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter ().[4]
In , she authored a biography of Johnny Weissmuller entitled Water, World & Weissmuller.[5] In addition to Estonian, Onyx spoke English, Swedish, Finnish, and German.[6]
On 20 October , she became an American citizen.[7] While in Canada she met and married George Virand, also an Estonian refuge, and they moved to Hollywood.[8]