Mala Powers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mala Powers
Powers in 1955
Born	Mary Ellen Powers (1931-12-20)December 20, 1931 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	June 11, 2007(2007-06-11) (aged 75) Burbank, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1942–2005
Spouse(s)	Monte Vanton ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1962)​ M. Hughes Miller ​ ​ (m. 1970; died 1989)​
Children	1

Mala Powers (born Mary Ellen Powers) was a talented American actress. She was born on December 20, 1931, and passed away on June 11, 2007. Mala Powers starred in many movies and TV shows during her long career. She was also known for her work teaching acting and writing books for children.

Early Life and First Roles

Mala Powers was born in San Francisco, California. Her father worked for a news agency, and her mother was a minister. In 1940, when Mala was eight, her family moved to Los Angeles.

That summer, she joined the Max Reinhardt Junior Workshop. This is where she performed her first play in front of a live audience. Mala loved drama lessons and kept learning. Just a year later, at age 10, she got a part in the 1942 film Tough as They Come. She once shared that she had been working in show business since she was seven years old!

Becoming a Star: Mala Powers' Acting Career

When Mala Powers was 16, she started acting in radio shows. By 1950, she became a film actress. Her first movies were Outrage and Edge of Doom.

Big Break in Cyrano de Bergerac

In the same year, a famous producer named Stanley Kramer chose Mala to star in the movie Cyrano de Bergerac. She played the role of Roxane alongside actor José Ferrer. This is one of her most famous roles. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award!

Overcoming Illness

In 1951, when Mala was 19, she went on a special tour to entertain soldiers in Korea. While there, she became very sick with a blood disease. She almost died. Doctors treated her, but she had a bad reaction to the medicine. This caused her to lose a lot of her bone marrow. Mala was very lucky to survive, and it took her about nine months to get better.

She started acting again in 1952. She played the main character in Rose of Cimarron. She also had important roles in movies like City Beneath the Sea (1953) and City That Never Sleeps (1953). Even though she was working, she still needed medicine for a while.

Later Films and TV Shows

After she fully recovered, Mala Powers appeared in many more films. These included Bengazi (1955) and Westerns like Rage at Dawn (1955) and Sierra Baron (1958). She also acted in science-fiction movies such as The Colossus of New York (1958). She had bigger roles in Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) and Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969).

Mala Powers was also a very busy TV actress. She appeared in over 100 TV episodes! Some of the popular shows she was in include Wagon Train, Bonanza, Bewitched, and The Wild Wild West. She even appeared in an episode of Maverick with Roger Moore.

Roles on Perry Mason

Mala Powers made five guest appearances on the popular TV show Perry Mason. She often played characters who were accused of crimes. For example, she was Clair Allison in "The Case of the Deadly Toy" (1959). She also played Janet Brent, a friend of Perry Mason's secretary, in "The Case of the Weary Watchdog" (1962).

Other TV Work and Writing

Mala Powers played the character Mona in the final season of the show Hazel (1965–66). In 1971, she was in 15 episodes of the TV series The Man and the City. She also narrated a Christmas music album called Follow the Star.

Beyond acting, Mala Powers was a successful author for children. She wrote books like Follow the Star, Follow the Year, and Dial a Story. She also helped revise and edit two books by the famous children's author Enid Blyton.

Teaching the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique

Mala Powers studied acting for many years with a famous teacher named Michael Chekhov. They became very close friends. After he passed away, Mala was chosen to manage his estate. She worked hard to share and spread Chekhov's special acting technique around the world.

Mala helped publish Chekhov's important books about acting. She also put together his audio series "On Theatre and the Art of Acting." She even helped narrate a documentary about Chekhov called From Russia to Hollywood.

National Michael Chekhov Association

From 1993 to 2006, Mala Powers taught the Chekhov technique at the University of Southern Maine. She helped train many actors and acting teachers. During this time, she also helped start the National Michael Chekhov Association. This group continues to teach the acting methods that Mala and her colleagues developed.

Mala Powers was also a patron of the Michael Chekhov Studio in London.

Personal Life

Mala Powers married Monte Vanton in 1954. They had one son named Toren Vanton. They later divorced in 1962. In 1970, Mala married M. Hughes Miller, who was a book publisher. He passed away in 1989.

Mala Powers was a supporter of the Democratic Party. She supported Adlai Stevenson II in the 1952 presidential election.

Later Years and Legacy

Mala Powers passed away on June 11, 2007, from complications of leukemia. She was 75 years old. She was survived by her son. Before she died, she was still giving lectures at universities.

Mala Powers has a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 6360 Hollywood Boulevard. This star honors her contributions to the entertainment industry.

Partial Filmography