Eugenia Paul

Eugenia Paul (born Eugenia Popoff; March 3, 1935 – May 24, 2010) was an American actress and dancer best known for her role as Elena Torres in the television series Zorro, which aired on the American television network ABC.

Early years Paul was born Eugenia Popoff in Dearborn, Michigan, of Russian heritage. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Frederick K. Popoff. Her father was an employee of Ford Motor Company; her mother, Monica, taught piano and violin after having been a concert violinist. She had one older brother and two younger brothers.

Paul initially wanted to be a ballet dancer. When she was 14 years old, she was invited to join the Ballet Theater company, but her mother preferred to have her continue her education.

Career Paul signed as a dancer with Warner Bros. when she was just 17 years old, while participating on a tour with the American Ballet Theatre and the Ballet Sketchbook television show. Paul danced in lead roles on screen. She also studied ballet with Bronislava Nijinska and drama and acting under Michael Chekhov. Paul departed Warner Bros. and signed with 20th Century Fox as an actor in 1955.

Private life Paul met her future husband, Pep Boys heir Robert Strauss, at a Hollywood Bowl party. and Paul quit professional show business soon after her marriage. They had two daughters and a son on May 24, 2010, at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the age of 75.

Filmography