---
name: "Zsa Zsa Gabor"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/zsa-zsa-gabor"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 February 1917"
died: "18 December 2016"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T02:35:06.910023+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Zsa Zsa Gabor

Actor. Born 6 February 1917 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. Died 18 December 2016.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 February 1917, Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]
- **Died:** 18 December 2016
- **Also known as:** Zsa-Zsa Gabor, За За Габор, За-За Габор, ЗаЗа Габор, Sári Gábor
- **Golden Globes:** 1 Golden Globe (1 won)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zsa_Zsa_Gabor, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207405, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001248/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/44715

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Moulin Rouge*](https://film.one/film/moulin-rouge-1952.md) (64)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Zsa Zsa Gabor

> Zsa Zsa Gabor did one thing on screen, which was to arrive. In *Moulin Rouge* John Huston used that well for a few minutes at a time; the rest of a long career mostly asked her to play herself, and she obliged.

Jane Avril comes through the crowd at the Moulin Rouge in a Schiaparelli gown, sings, is affectionately rude to the little man drawing at his corner table, and leaves. Georges Auric's waltz comes in under her and stays after she has gone. That is more or less the whole of the part, and in our review of *Moulin Rouge* (1952) we called her a poster that moves, which was meant kindly. Huston, Oswald Morris behind the camera and Ralph Kemplen at the cutting bench build a room for her to walk through, and she walks through it beautifully. We were glad each time she came back and did not miss her when she went, which is about the best a cameo can hope for.

The career is short on second acts. Richard Tauber put her on the stage in Vienna; she reached America in 1941; a television appearance in 1951 led to a film debut in *Lovely to Look At* (1952) and, the same year, to Avril, her most substantial film part. *Lili* (1953), opposite Leslie Caron, was among her better-received supporting turns. After that the roles got smaller and the billing got odder: a strip-club owner for Orson Welles in *Touch of Evil* (1958), the lead in *Queen of Outer Space* (1958), and thirty-odd films and a great deal of television in which she was increasingly asked to play a woman called Zsa Zsa Gabor, culminating in *The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear* (1991), where the character is called exactly that.

What she had was a look, an accent and a manner, all of them her own and none of them adjustable. Huston is reported to have told her on *Moulin Rouge* to forget about acting and make love to the camera, and whether or not he said it, it describes what she did for forty years. Given a strong director and a large production she was a fine ornament; given a scene that needed her to change her mind in the middle of it, she was stranded. The obituaries agreed that she was better known for being Zsa Zsa Gabor than for anything she did in character, and we do not think they were unfair. She said herself, 'I love to act, darling,' and we believe her; the pleasure shows, even when the acting does not.

It is a small body of work to judge and we have judged a small part of it. Our advice is the first twenty minutes of *Moulin Rouge*, where she is one bright piece of a hall full of them, and to stop there before the film sits down. She was never going to be the story. She was good at being the poster.

## Biography

Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917–2016) was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite. Born Sári Gábor in Budapest, she began her stage career in Vienna after placing in the Miss Hungary contest in 1936 and emigrated to the United States in 1941.

She made her film debut in *Lovely to Look At* (1952) and appeared the same year as Jane Avril in John Huston’s *Moulin Rouge*. Subsequent film roles included *We’re Not Married!* (1952), *Lili* (1953) and *Touch of Evil* (1958). She also appeared in television series such as *Gilligan’s Island*, *Batman* and *The Love Boat*, and later films including *The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear* (1991).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, bfi.org.uk, theguardian.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Moulin Rouge* (1952), Fi1m 64, as Jane Avril — [page](https://film.one/film/moulin-rouge-1952.md)

## Complete filmography (71)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Zsa Zsa Gabor, Königin des roten Teppichs* (2019), as (archive footage)
- *Prinz Hollywood - Frederic von Anhalt* (2016), as (archive footage)
- *A Very Brady Sequel* (1996), as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *Cybill* (1995), series, Actor
- *The Beverly Hillbillies* (1993), as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *Zsa Zsa Gabor: "It's Simple, Darling"* (1993), Actor
- *The Naked Truth* (1992), as The Stewardess
- *The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear* (1991), as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *The People vs. Zsa Zsa Gabor* (1991), Actor
- *Schmidteinander* (1990), series, Actor
- *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* (1990), series, as Sonya Lamor
- *Happily Ever After* (1989), as Blossom (voice)
- *Johann Strauss: The King Without a Crown* (1987), as Aunt Amalie
- *A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors* (1987), as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *It's Garry Shandling's Show* (1986), series, as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment* (1986), as 'Star Hungry' Celebrity
- *California Girls* (1985), as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie* (1984), as Clara
- *Matt Houston* (1982), series, Actor
- *Knots Landing* (1979), series, as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *The Facts of Life* (1979), series, Actor
- *Supertrain* (1979), series, as Audrey Fuller
- *Every Girl Should Have One* (1978), as Olivia Wayne
- *The Love Boat* (1977), series, as Annette
- *Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood* (1976), as Premiere Female Star
- *Up the Front* (1972), as Mata Hari
- *Mooch Goes to Hollywood* (1971), as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- *Night Gallery* (1970), series, as Mrs. Moore
- *Bracken's World* (1969), series, Actor
- *The Name of the Game* (1968), series, as Mira Retzyk
- *Jack of Diamonds* (1967), as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *Mondo Hollywood* (1967), Actor
- *Arrivederci, Baby!* (1966), as Gigi
- *Picture Mommy Dead* (1966), as Jessica Flagmore Shelley
- *Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?* (1966), as Queen of Hearts
- *Batman* (1966), series, as Minerva (uncredited)
- *F Troop* (1965), series, Actor
- *Gilligan's Island* (1964), series, Actor
- *Burke's Law* (1963), series, as Anna, Commissar Ilona Buda
- *Boys' Night Out* (1962), as Boss's Girlfriend
- *Lykke og krone* (1962), Actor
- *Mister Ed* (1961), series, as Zsa Zsa
- *Pepe* (1960), as Zsa Zsa Gabor
- *La contessa azzurra* (1960), as Loreley
- *Ninotchka* (1960), as Swana
- *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Madame Marova
- *For the First Time* (1959), as Gloria de Vadnuz
- *Lux Playhouse* (1958), series, as Helen
- *Queen of Outer Space* (1958), as Talleah
- *Touch of Evil* (1958), as Strip-Club Owner
- *The Man Who Wouldn't Talk* (1958), as Eve Trent
- *Country Music Holiday* (1958), as Zsa Zsa Gábor
- *Circle of the Day* (1957), as Marta Lorenz
- *The Girl in the Kremlin* (1957), as Lili Grisenko / Greta Grisenko
- *The Greer Case* (1957), as Erika Segnitz
- *Death of a Scoundrel* (1956), as Mrs. Ryan
- *Matinee Theater* (1955), series, Actor
- *Ball of the Nations* (1954), as Vera van Loon
- *3 Ring Circus* (1954), as Saadia
- *Climax!* (1954), series, as Princess Stephanie, Mme. Florizel
- *December Bride* (1954), series, Actor
- *Love in a Hot Climate* (1954), as Marilena
- *The Most Wanted Man* (1953), as Lola
- *The Story of Three Loves* (1953), as Flirt at Bar
- *Lili* (1953), as Rosalie
- *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Countess Gloria, Sari Sanine
- *The Life Of Riley* (1953), series, as Gigi
- *Moulin Rouge* (1952), as Jane Avril — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/moulin-rouge-1952.md)
- *We're Not Married!* (1952), as Eve Melrose
- *Lovely to Look At* (1952), as Zsa Zsa
- *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Zsa Zsa Gabor](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-6addd08c3972.jpg) Zsa Zsa Gabor — Studio publicity still, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Gabor%2C_Zsa_Zsa.jpg/1280px-Gabor%2C_Zsa_Zsa.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, circa 1954](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-5f2aa65bde3f.jpg) Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, circa 1954 — Los Angeles Daily News, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Zsa_Zsa_Gabor_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Zsa_Zsa_Gabor_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Publicity photo of Zsa Zsa Gabor (1959)](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-f99815eada77.jpg) Publicity photo of Zsa Zsa Gabor (1959) — News release by Rogers & Cowan talent agents, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Zsa_Zsa_Gabor_-_1959.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Zsa-Zsa Gabor in Bijenkorf Amsterdam, met Diamonair (1972)](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-539c0db476d6.jpg) Zsa-Zsa Gabor in Bijenkorf Amsterdam, met Diamonair (1972) — Rob Mieremet / Anefo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/NL-HaNA_2.24.01.05_0_925-5108.jpg/1280px-NL-HaNA_2.24.01.05_0_925-5108.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Zsa Zsa Gabor](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-146fe860b146.jpg) Zsa Zsa Gabor — Image via TMDB
- ![Zsa Zsa Gabor](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-73a71ce085ba.jpg) Zsa Zsa Gabor — Image via TMDB
- ![Zsa Zsa Gabor](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-a3528996e6c9.jpg) Zsa Zsa Gabor — Image via TMDB
- ![Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress, USA. at Kastrup Airport CPH, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1959-08-05](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-02d8a1410307.jpg) Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress, USA. at Kastrup Airport CPH, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1959-08-05 — SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Zsa_Zsa_Gabor%2C_actress%2C_USA._at_Kastrup_Airport.jpg/1280px-Zsa_Zsa_Gabor%2C_actress%2C_USA._at_Kastrup_Airport.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Zsa-Zsa Gabor in Bijenkorf Amsterdam, met Diamonair (1972)](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-5c248963599c.jpg) Zsa-Zsa Gabor in Bijenkorf Amsterdam, met Diamonair (1972) — Rob Mieremet / Anefo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/NL-HaNA_2.24.01.05_0_925-5110.jpg/1280px-NL-HaNA_2.24.01.05_0_925-5110.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Zsa Zsa Gabor](https://film.one/media/person/1237362/gallery-689dceff02e5.jpg) Zsa Zsa Gabor — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 1958: Golden Globe Awards (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/zsa-zsa-gabor