Famous Hungarian Women

The elder sister of Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor, Magda Gabor was an actor who had appeared in the film Modern Girls and on a few TV shows. She was rumored to be the mistress of the Portuguese ambassador to Hungary and had later married 6 times.

Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter best remembered as a pioneer of modern Indian art. Widely regarded as one of the early-20th century's greatest avant-garde women artists, Sher-Gil's work has influenced several Indian artists like Arpita Singh and Sayed Haider Raza. Her life and career inspired the 1969 documentary film Amrita Sher-Gil which was directed by Bhagwan Das Garga.

Jadwiga of Poland reigned over the Kingdom of Poland as its first female monarch from 1384 until her death in 1399. Regarded as one of Poland's greatest rulers, Jadwiga is often compared to Casimir the Great and Bolesław the Brave. Also remembered for her charitable activities, Jadwiga of Poland established new schools, hospitals, and churches.

Hungarian biochemist Katalin Karikó is best known for her research on mRNA, which led scientists to develop the first mRNA-based vaccine in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. After working at the Biological Research Centre in Szeged, she moved to the US due to lack of funding.

Elizabeth, the daughter of Hungarian king Andrew II, was married at 14 but lost her husband to a plague in Italy at 20. She then joined the Third Order of St. Francis and opened a hospital for the poor. She is revered as the patron saint of the homeless.

Jolie Gabor, also known as Mama Jolie, was a renowned socialite and the mother of the actor sisters Zsa Zsa, Magda, and Eva Gabor. Born into a family of famous Hungarian jewelers, she herself owned multiple jewelry shops in Hungary and later established her business in the US.

Ilona Staller is a former porn star, singer, and politician. She achieved popularity by appearing in Telefono rosso, the first Italian hardcore pornography production, and then went on to pose nude in Playboy's editions around the world. In 1980, an erotic series titled La Cicciolina was made based on Ilona Staller's life and career.

Starting as a child actor, Ahna Capri later soared to fame with her role of Tania in the movie Enter the Dragon. Her other notable roles were in films such as Piranha and Payday and in series such as Dan August. She died in a fatal car crash.

Márta Károlyi is a Hungarian-born Romanian-American gymnastics coach. She was the former national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics. Her husband, Bela, is also a prominent gymnastics coach, and between them, the couple has trained nine Olympic champions, fifteen world champions, sixteen European medalists, and many US national champions. She retired from coaching in 2016. 

Born in Hungary, Sylvia Plachy fled to the US with her family after the Hungarian Revolution. Now a renowned photographer, she is mainly known for her stint with the US newsweekly The Village Voice. A Guggenheim fellow and a Lucie Award winner, she is also the mother of Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody.

Hungarian-origin Slovak actor Vica Kerekes started her career with the Slovak movie Konečná stanica. Also known as Vica, she later soared to fame with her award-winning roles in films such as Ki/Be Tawaret and Seven Days of Sin. She also appeared in the popular Slovak-Czech series Odsúdené.

Named Miss Universe Hungary 2008, Jázmin Dammak was born to a Hungarian mother and a Tunisian father. The gorgeous model later stepped into acting and stunned audiences with her role of Vampire princess Sonja in the 2003 movie Underworld. She has also been part of the series A Konyhafönök VIP.

Hungarian Jewish poet and SOE member Hannah Szenes went down in history for voluntarily parachuting into occupied Europe during World War II to assist the Allied forces and the armed resistance against the Nazis. Captured at the Hungarian border, she was eventually tortured and executed by a firing squad.

Archduchess Marie Valerie was the last child of Franz Joseph I, emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, and Empress Elisabeth. Rumors also claimed she was an illegitimate child of Elisabeth and Gyula Andrássy. He marriage to her third cousin, Archduke Franz Salvator, was criticized for not being dynastic.

Hungarian brunette beauty Angelica Bella began her career in the porn industry as Gabriella Dari. Initially a favorite of German producers, she later became a huge name in Italy. Known for her hardcore porn films that included anal sex, she has  now retired and runs an online sex shop.

Buxom, brunette Hungarian beauty Dora Varga is known to her porn film fans as Aletta Ocean. While she initially studied economics and also won the pageant Miss Tourism Hungary, she later stepped into hardcore porn. The AVN Award winner has also appeared in Playboy and Penthouse.

Though she married a Nazi officer at age 15, to avoid deportation, Hungarian Jewish actor Eva Bartok was later hounded by Hungarian Communists. She then moved to the US and gained fame with movies such as The Crimson Pirate. She also claimed to have had a daughter with singer Frank Sinatra.

After winning beauty pageants such as Miss Teen Hungary and Miss Alpeadria, blonde Hungarian beauty Eva Henger moved to Italy and became a hit porn star. She has previously been a handball player and is also trained in the piano. She is now married to producer Massimiliano Caroletti.

Hungarian actor and model Andrea Osvárt is also a linguist, well-versed in a number of languages, such as Italian and German. She has also been interested in dance since age 13. After appearing in countless commercials, she bagged a role in the Brad Pitt starrer 2001 movie Spy Game.

Apart from being the Marchioness of Bath, Anna Thynn was also a fine actor, known by her stage name, Anna Gaël. She had started dating Alexander Thynn, Viscount Weymouth, known to be a womanizer, while still married to French director Gilbert Pineau. She has also previously worked as a reporter.

Best known for her works with the Private Media Group, Hungarian porn star Katalin Vad is also known as Michelle Wild. She once maintained a column on FHM and hosted a radio show. The AVN and Venus Award winner is now a mother and has vowed never to return to porn.

Apart from being a rock and heavy metal singer, who has also worked with the Danish band King Diamond, Livia Zita is also a talented voiceover artist who specializes in accented English for commercials. She has also lent her voice to video games and animation films.

Hungarian model Zita Gorog began modeling at 18 and later traveled to over 20 countries, working for brands such as Mont Blanc, Benetton, Nivea, and Nissan. She has also been featured in publications such as Playboy, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan, and has appeared in movies such as the Underworld franchise.

Hungarian porn star and model Mya Diamond, also known as Julia Duval, gained fame with series such as House of Taboo and is loved by her fans for her foot fetish scenes. Initially interested in languages, she mastered German. She got her first porn offer while modelling during her university days.

Initially a promising and award-winning gymnast from Budapest, Niki Belucci had to end her sports career due to an injury at 15. While working at a lingerie store, she was scouted by an adult industry agent. After working as a porn actor, she eventually became one of the most successful DJs of Hungary.

Known as The Hungarian Rhapsody in the US, actor Vilma Bánky was a star of silent films such as The Son of The Sheik. She was also an avid golfer who had won club championships and dealt in real estate, too. She also funded a children’s foundation with her husband.

Agnes Keleti is a Hungarian-Israeli former artistic gymnast and coach. A former Olympic and world champion, Keleti won 10 Olympic medals including two bronze medals, three silver medals, and five gold medals. She is regarded as one of the most successful Jewish Olympians of all time. In 2001, Agnes Keleti was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.  

Best known for her historical novel The Scarlet Pimpernel, Hungarian-British novelist Emma Orczy was the only child of noted composer Baron Felix Orczy. While she initially studied art, she later took to writing. Apart from the Pimpernel sequels, she also penned several collections of detective stories, such as Lady Molly of Scotland Yard.

Legendary Hungarian-American designer Judith Leiber started her career as a trainee at a handbag company and was the first female member of the Hungarian Handbag Guild. She survived the Holocaust and later launched her own label in the US. She is known for her signature crystal purse collections.

Initially known as “the new Dietrich,” actor and opera singer Ilona Massey grew up amid poverty and funded her singing lessons by working as a dressmaker’s apprentice. From performing on radio and in night clubs, she later rose to be the quintessential temptress in films such as Love Happy.

The daughter of theater personality Stephan Balint, Hungarian-born violinist and performer Eszter Balint grew up with her father’s Squat Theatre troupe in New York. Apart from her critically acclaimed albums, such as Flicker, she is also known for her appearances in films and series such as Shadows and Fog and Louie.