Camelia (actress)


Lilian Victor Cohen, known professionally as Camelia, was an Egyptian actress.

Biography

Camelia was born in Alexandria to an Egyptian mother of Italian ancestry. There are several theories about her father ranging from a Greek Jewish merchant to a French diplomat. However, she had never confirmed who her real father was and insisted that she was a Christian despite having the surname Cohen. She was discovered by Egyptian director Ahmed Salem who cast her in her first film in 1946.
As a beautiful socialite in the high society of Alexandria, she loved partying. Events surrounding her and her high-society relationships frequently appeared in Arab tabloids. In particular, gossip surrounding her alleged relationships with King Farouk of Egypt.
Camelia was killed in the crash of TWA Flight 903 in 1950 when she was 20 years old. The accident added to the fame and mystery surrounding her image. Her wild lifestyle and tragic death are often compared to that of Marilyn Monroe. Conspiracy theories and speculation about espionage, especially in the context of Israel were also widespread in Egypt, but nothing has ever been proven. Despite a short career, she gained a place in the memory of Egyptian and Arab audiences and left a mark in the films that are still shown all over the Arab world. Famed Egyptian director Atef Salem based his film Hafeya A'la Gesr El Zahab on her life.

Selected films