Zsa Zsa Gabor's Real Name: Sári Gábor
Zsa Zsa Gabor → Sári Gábor
Quick answer: The actress and socialite was known professionally as Zsa Zsa Gabor. Britannica records the name Sári Gábor. A Guardian obituary independently says she was born Sári Gabor, and its closing line gives Zsa Zsa (Sári) Gabor. Both accounts record her death on December 18, 2016.
Real name and early life
Britannica lists her as also known as Sári Gábor and places the birth on February 6, 1917, in Budapest, then in Austria-Hungary and now in Hungary. The Guardian says she was born Sári Gabor into luxury in Budapest, and that her date of birth is disputed but most commonly given as 1917; the same obituary's closing line nonetheless gives 6 February 1917. The Guardian says she was brought up with her sisters, Magda and Eva. Britannica independently identifies Eva Gabor as a sister who became a popular television actress, and says Zsa Zsa Gabor attended boarding school in Switzerland and competed in the 1936 Miss Hungary beauty competition, before heading to Hollywood in 1941.
Career highlights
Britannica says she made her film debut in the 1952 musical Lovely to Look At, and received greater recognition for that year's Moulin Rouge, directed by John Huston, and for Lili (1953). The Guardian independently names Moulin Rouge (1952), in which it says she played the cabaret singer Jane Avril, and Lili (1953). The same obituary also names later films including Three Ring Circus (1954), Death of a Scoundrel (1956), Queen of Outer Space (1958), and Touch of Evil (1958). Britannica says that although her film career later slowed, she remained in demand on television game shows and talk shows into the 1990s, and appeared in series including Gilligan's Island, Bonanza, and Batman. Both accounts mention a 1989 conviction for assaulting a police officer; Britannica also notes a later appearance in The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) that lampooned that conviction.
Death
Britannica records her death on December 18, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. The Guardian independently gives 18 December 2016 and says she had died aged 99. The Guardian closing line does not name a city.
Name notes for searchers
People looking up Zsa Zsa Gabor, Sári Gábor, or Sári Gabor are looking for the same actress, including the later films Moulin Rouge and Lili most often associated with her name. Search traffic often uses the professional name Zsa Zsa Gabor.
FAQ
What is Zsa Zsa Gabor's real name?
She was known professionally as Zsa Zsa Gabor. Britannica records the name Sári Gábor. The Guardian spells the same form Sári Gabor.
When and where was she born?
Britannica gives February 6, 1917, in Budapest. The Guardian says the date of birth is disputed but most commonly given as 1917, while also listing 6 February 1917 in its closing line, and places the birth in Budapest.
When did she die?
Britannica and the Guardian both record December 18, 2016. Britannica places the death in Los Angeles. The Guardian says she had died aged 99.
Which later films are cited here?
Both sources name Moulin Rouge (1952) and Lili (1953). Britannica also names the 1952 debut Lovely to Look At.