Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers was a renowned American film and television actress, born on December 20, 1931, in San Francisco, California. She began her acting career at a young age, attending the Max Reinhardt Junior Workshop and later starring in the 1942 film Tough as They Come.
Powers continued to work in radio drama and films throughout the 1950s, including notable roles in Outrage, Edge of Doom, and Cyrano de Bergerac, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. Her career was interrupted in 1951 when she acquired a blood disease during a USO entertainment tour in Korea, but she made a remarkable recovery and returned to acting in 1952.
In the 1960s, Powers appeared in a range of films, including westerns, science fiction, and dramas, and also had a recurring role on the television series Hazel. She was married to Monte Vanton from 1954 to 1962 and had a son, Toren, who survived her.
In the 1970s, Powers shifted her focus to teaching and authorship, co-founding the National Michael Chekhov Association and publishing several books on acting, including "On the Technique of Acting" and "The Path of the Actor". She also taught at the University of Southern Maine's Michael Chekhov Theatre Institute and was a master teacher for 14 years.
Powers was a patron of the Michael Chekhov Studio London and had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She remained active in the entertainment industry until her death from complications of leukemia on June 11, 2007, at the age of 75.
