Karen Kondazian

Karen Kondazian (born January 27, 1941) is an American actress and author. She is a recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award's Best Actress award and is a four-time Drama-Logue Awards winner. She had a regular starring role in Shannon, as well guest-starring roles on Wiseguy, Frasier, NYPD Blue, and others.

Life and career

Karen Kondazian was born in Newton, Massachusetts to an Armenian family. She attended Abraham Lincoln High School, received a B.A. from San Francisco State College, and graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Kondazian began working in theater, starring in productions such as The Rose Tattoo and Master Class.

As a child, she appeared on Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things.

She won the (1978) Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award's Best Actress award for her role in the Tennessee Williams play The Rose Tattoo (1978) and four Drama-Logue Awards for Sweet Bird of Youth (1980), Lady House Blues (1981), Vieux Carré (1983) and Tamara (1985). Kondazian met Williams at a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle luncheon honoring him, and Williams reportedly allowed Kondazian to produce any of his plays. She was also nominated for an Ovation Best Actress Award in Master Class.

Her work on the stage led to numerous TV and film roles, including a recurring starring role the CBS series Shannon as Irene Lokatelli, and guest-starring roles in Wiseguy, Frasier, NYPD Blue, and the TV biopic James Dean. She also was in Yes, Giorgio and Cobra.

In 2000, Kondazian wrote the reference work The Actors' Encyclopedia of Casting Directors and The Whip in 2012, published by the Hansen Publishing Group, a historical novel about stagecoach driver Charley Parkhurst. The Whip was well-reviewed for its historical accuracy and story.

Kondazian is a member of the Actors Studio and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Personal life Kondazian was in a relationship with actor Lex Barker from 1972 until his death on May 11, 1973. They were engaged.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1977 Bare Knuckles Pamela Devlin 1981 Gangster Wars Mrs. Luciano 1981 Dream On! Unknown 1982 Yes, Giorgio Francesca Giordano 1982 Forty Days of Musa Dagh Mme. Kebussyan 1986 Cobra Nurse Irene 1995 Steal Big Steal Little Mrs. Agopian 1997 My Brother Jack Rose Casale 1998 Shadow of Doubt TV Host / Panel (voice) 1999 California Myth Sonia 2001 Wedding Album Unknown Short film 2001 Beyond the City Limits Helena's Mother 2007 The Blue Hour Tello 2009 The Shift Sophia Direct-to-DVD

Television Year Title Role Notes 1972 The Hound of the Baskervilles Mrs. Mortimer Television film 1972 Appointment with Destiny Kate Elder Holliday Episode: "Showdown at O.K. Corral" 1973 The Waltons Franzia Episode: "The Gypsies" 1980 A Rumor of War Mrs. Modesta Television miniseries 1981 Time Warp Mrs. Cesere Television film 1981–1982 Shannon Irene Lokatelli 9 episodes 1982 Hill Street Blues Widow Alessi Episode: "The Shooter" 1986 Cagney & Lacey Arroyo Episode: "Capitalism" 1987 Moonlighting Margaret Renborn Episode: "Poltergeist III - Dipesto Nothing" 1987 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Madeleinska Episode: "Bride of Boogedy" 1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Lila Episode: "Reno and Yolanda" 1988 Wiseguy Unknown Episode: "Aria for Don Aiuppo" 1990 Ferris Bueller Marjorie Ganesha Episode: "Ferris Bueller Can't Win" 1991 Locked Up: A Mother's Rage Unknown Television film 1991 Murder, She Wrote Rosalee Rossari Episode: "Lines of Excellence" 1992 Baywatch Bella Episode: "Summer of '85" 1992 Mortal Sins Rose Croce Television film 1995 Land's End Mrs. Commandante Episode: "El Perico" 1995 Ellen Gypsy Fortune Teller Episode: "Ellen's Choice" 1997 Tracey Takes On... Casaba Woman Episode: "Sex" 2000 Animated Stories from the New Testament Old Woman Episode: "Lazarus Lives" 2000 Frasier Adrianna Pettibone Episode: "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon: Part 2" 2001 James Dean Mrs. Pierangeli Television film 2002 NYPD Blue Mrs. Kilik Episode: "Oh, Mama!" 2005 McBride: The Doctor Is Out... Really Out Nurse Williams Television film 2009 The Bill Engvall Show Fatima Episode: "The Way We Were"

Video games Year Title Role Notes 1996 Zork Nemesis Maria, Female Patient #2

Theatre Year Title Role Venue Notes 1972 Richard II Queen's Lady in Waiting Ahmanson Theatre 1974 Hamlet Gertrude's Lady in Waiting Mark Taper Forum Theater 1978–1979 The Rose Tattoo Serafina Beverly Hills Playhouse Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award – Best Actress 1980 Sweet Bird of Youth Princess Kosmonopolis Gene Dynarski Theater Drama-Logue Award 1981 Lady House Blues Liz Madden South Coast Repertory Theater Drama-Logue Award 1983 Vieux Carré Mrs. Wire Beverly Hills Playhouse LA Weekly Theater Award – Best ActressDrama-Logue Award 1984 Broken Eggs Sonia Ensemble Studio Theatre 1985–1986 Tamara Aelis Il Vittoriale Drama-Logue Award 1987 The Night of the Iguana Maxine Old Globe Theatre 1989 Freedomland Claude South Coast Repertory Theater PlayNominated—Pulitzer Prize 1989 Mixed Blessings Velia Martinez Coconut Grove Playhouse 1991 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha Berkeley Repertory Theatre Nominated—San Francisco Drama Critics Circle Award – Best Actress 1996 Orpheus Descending Lady The Fountain Theatre Nominated—Ovation Award – Best Actress 2000 The Night of the Iguana Maxine The Fountain Theatre Back Stage Garland Award 2003–2004 Master Class Maria Callas The Fountain Theatre Ovation Award – Best Production of the YearBack Stage Garland AwardMaddy AwardEntertainment Today Award – Best Actress 2005 Kissing Fidel Miriam 42nd Street Theater 2007 The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore Mrs. Goford The Fountain Theatre Nominated—LA Weekly Theater Award – Best Actress 2016 Baby Doll Aunt Rose Comfort The Fountain Theatre