Lilia Skala

Lilia Skala was an Austrian-born American architect and actress who first trained as an architect and engineer at the University of Dresden, graduating summa cum laude, before practicing architecture in Vienna. She was among the first women in her profession in Austria and joined the Austrian Association of Engineers and Architects as its first woman member. She later turned to acting and worked in television from 1952 to 1985, including on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1965, and played the Countess on Green Acres in the 1960s. On Broadway she portrayed Grand Duchess Sophie in Call Me Madam alongside Ethel Merman. Her best-known film role was the Mother Superior in Lilies of the Field (1963), which brought her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and critical acclaim. Her other films included Ship of Fools (1965), Charly (1968), Heartland (1979), Flashdance (1983), and House of Games (1987). She received two Golden Globe nominations and one Primetime Emmy nomination.