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Manyi Kiss

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Manyi Kiss
Manyi Kiss
Born(1911-03-12)12 March 1911
Magyarlóna, Austria-Hungary (now Luna de Sus, Romania)
Died24 March 1971(1971-03-24) (aged 60)
Budapest, Hungary
Other namesMargit Kiss
OccupationActress
Years active1926–1971

The native form of this personal name is Kiss Manyi. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Manyi Kiss (born Margit Kiss; 12 March 1911 – 24 March 1971) was a Hungarian actress renowned for her prolific career in theater and film. She was active in the Hungarian entertainment industry from 1926 until her death in 1971.

Career

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She was born in Magyarlóna, Kolozs County, Hungary (now Luna de Sus, Romania), to Lajos Kiss and Zsuzsanna Nagy. She began acting in 1926 in Cluj (known in Hungarian as Kolozsvár). In 1928, she moved to Miskolc and subsequently performed in Szeged, Hungary, from 1929 to 1932. From the start of her career, she displayed a natural acting style, exceptional dance skills, and a talent for performing comic roles.

In 1932, she briefly performed abroad in circuses with her Italian artist husband. Upon returning, she made her debut in Budapest in 1934 but was not immediately contracted by any theater. Instead, she performed at the Pódium Cabaret. In 1940, she was contracted by the Capital Operetta Theatre and also performed at other notable venues, including the Hungarian Theatre, the Andrássy Avenue Theatre, the Erzsébetvárosi Theatre, the Márkus Park Theatre, and the Vidám Theatre. By 1943, she had joined the Vígszínház (Comedy Theatre), cementing her status as one of Budapest's most beloved performers.

After World War II, she continued to perform at various Budapest theaters but was only offered individual roles, as she became politically marginalized under the communist regime due to allegations that she had performed for soldiers at the front. In 1954, she joined the Madách Theatre, where she focused on dramatic roles, such as her acclaimed performance in Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children. Her repertoire expanded during this time to include grotesque, tragicomic, and heroic dramatic roles, showcasing her extraordinary range and precision. Her colleagues admired her ability to quickly master roles with remarkable brevity.

Her work at the Madách Theatre earned her several prestigious honors, including the Jászai Mari Award (1954), the Kossuth Prize (1957), an Outstanding Artist Award (1962), and an Artistic Excellence Award (1964).

Her colleagues only became aware of her terminal illness during her final days. She died in Budapest in 1971.

Main roles

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Her repertoire included Kálmán's Die Csárdásfürstin, Chekhov's Three Sisters, Molière's Les Femmes Savantes, Goodrich and Hackett's The Diary of Anne Frank, and Shaffer's Black Comedy.

Film roles

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She appeared in 81 films and television series from the mid-1930s to 1971.

Selected filmography

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