Maureen Hingert
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Maureen Hingert | |
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Born | Maureen Neliya Hingert January 9, 1937 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Maureen Neliya Hingert (born January 9, 1937) is a Sri Lankan model, dancer and actress. She became the only Sri Lankan representative to win an award at a Miss Universe pageant after finishing as second runner-up at the 1955 event.
Hingert was born on January 9, 1937 in Colombo, Sri Lanka to Lionel Hingert and Lorna Mabel De Run. Her father, of Dutch ancestry, was the president of the Bank of Ceylon and held extensive holdings in the tea industry. Maureen attended school at the Holy Family Convent in Colombo until she was eighteen. She studied world history, languages (English, French, Spanish, Hindustani, and Tamil), nursing and dancing. After her schooling, Maureen became a dance teacher.[1]
In 1955, Hingert was crowned Miss Ceylon and subsequently attended the 1955 Miss Universe event. Following her modest victory in the contest, Hingert continued as a dancer moving to Los Angeles, where she performed classic Indian dance routines.[1]
Hingert soon after also pursued a short-lived career as an actress. Her roles were mostly small, and included an appearance on the British TV Series Captain Grief in 1957 (shot in Mexico),[2] and roles in little known films like Fort Bowie (shot at the Kanab Movie Fort in Kanab, Utah) and Gun Fever under the alias Jana Davi.[3][1]
She married designer/artist Mario Armond Zamparelli in 1958. Her daughter Regina was born on May 8, 1959 in Los Angeles. Regina would achieve fame as a concert promoter going by the name Gina Zamperelli.[1]