Maureen Hingert, former Miss Universe runner-up and actress, dies at 88

Maureen Hingert, a former Miss Universe contestant and actress known for her role in The King and I, has passed away at the age of 88.

Hingert's death was confirmed by her daughter, Marisa Zamparelli, on July 2, following an initial announcement by fellow Sri Lankan actress Angela Seneviratne on July 1. Zamparelli stated that her mother died peacefully of liver failure on June 30 at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California.

Hingert, who represented Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) at the 1955 Miss Universe pageant, earned the title of second runner-up. Her participation in the pageant marked a significant milestone, as it was the first Miss Universe competition to be broadcast on television. Hingert became widely recognized for her striking long, black hair and radiant smile, capturing the attention of both the judges and the audience.

Following the pageant, Hingert pursued a brief acting career in Hollywood, making uncredited appearances in films such as Circus Girl (1954) and Elephant Walk (1954), both produced in her native Sri Lanka. In 1956, she appeared in The King and I, the well-known film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Hingert went on to appear in several other films, including Gunmen from Laredo and The Rawhide Tail, using the screen name Jana Davi.

After a decade in the industry, Hingert retired from acting in the early 1960s to raise her family. She married American artist Mario Zamparelli in 1958, and they had three daughters. She was preceded in death by her husband and two daughters.

Hingert's death marks the loss of a pioneering figure in both Sri Lankan and Hollywood cinema.