Ruta Lee was born on May 30, 1935 in Montréal, Québec, Canada as Ruta Mary Kilmonis. She is an actress, known for Testimone d'accusa (1957), 7 spose per 7 fratelli (1954) and Cenerentola a Parigi (1957).
As a young starlet, Ruta made international headlines when she convinced Khrushchev to release her 90 year old grandmother from the Soviet Union. She brought her to the U.S. where she lived her remaining years in the sunshine of freedom. She is grateful to all for the prayers that helped in that effort.
Lee has headlined around the country in many musicals as Dolly, Annie, Molly, Peter Pan, Mame, Irene, Nelly, Irma, Rose, The Woman of the Year, and Madame in the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, these are just a few of her leading lady roles.
Critics have raved about all of her stage roles, but two stand out as favorites, The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Goodbye Charlie. Lee's performance in the former was described by composer Meredith Willson as "the greatest Molly of them all and had Ruta Lee created the role on Broadway, the original production would still be running."
More recently she took a star turn in the critically acclaimed Steel Magnolias at Garry Marshall's Falcon Theater as well as Fort Worth's Casa Manana and Funny Business at the L.A.'s Coronet. She headlined 4 seasons to the hit musical revue, Senior Class at the Annenberg Theater, Palm Springs.
