Magda Harout

Harout was born in Los Angeles, California on April 22, 1926, to Armenian-born stage actor Yeghishe Harout, and his wife Gohar.^[1] Her father was also the proprietor of the Ivar Theatre, which opened on the Hollywood Boulevard in 1951.^[2] During the 1940s, Harout was a pageant queen, and in 1943 she sold war bonds to support U.S. troops during World War II.^[3] On May 29, 1947, she married Robert Thomas Kardashian (1920–1998), an Army Air Forces veteran, at the First Congregation Church in Los Angeles. They later honeymooned in Hawaii.^[4]

Her stage credits included Nine Armenians (1997) by Leslie Ayvazia^[5] and The Kiss at City Hall (2000).^[6] She received a number of awards for her appearances on stage,^[7] including from LA Weekly, Drama-Logue and the LA Drama Critics Circle.^[8]

In 1999, Harout played the role of Aunt Alma in the independent comedy film A Wake in Providence. Producer and writer Vincent Pagano cast Harout promptly after meeting her, stating that "Magda opened her mouth, and we immediately fell in love with her voice.".^[9]

Harout spoke Russian, Armenian and French, and dyed her hair lighter in order not to be typecast in stereotypical ethnic roles. She also appeared in a number of television commercials.^[7] Harout died in Woodland Hills, California on September 9, 2021, at the age of 95.^[1][10]