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Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi (December 11, 1922 – January 10, 2008), known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American-Finn actress who created the campy 1950s character Vampira. She was raised in Astoria, Oregon, where she worked in tuna and salmon canneries. She relocated to Los Angeles in 1940, with hopes of becoming an actress.
Maila Nurmi was the original "Vampira" of 1950s TV horror shows and Plan 9 from Outer Space. She was born in Massachusetts, married a screenwriter, and became an animal rights activist and painter.
- January 1, 1
- Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
- January 1, 1
- Los Angeles, California, USA
Learn about Maila Nurmi, the Finnish-American actress who created Vampira, the first horror host on TV. Discover her lies, influences, achievements, and controversies in this article.
Oct 11, 2023 · Maila Nurmi was a Finnish-American actress who invented the iconic horror host character Vampira in 1954. Learn about her life, career, and the controversies surrounding her legacy in this article.
- William J. Wright
Jan 16, 2008 · Maila Nurmi, whose “Vampira” TV persona pioneered the spooky-yet-sexy Goth aesthetic, has died, coroner’s officials said. She was 85. Nurmi died Thursday afternoon at her Hollywood home, Los ...
Jan 12, 2021 · In "Glamour Ghoul," a niece of Maila Nurmi — better known as Vampira — documents the exciting, fraught Hollywood life of a bygone horror camp icon.
- Scott Bradfield
Maila Nurmi was a former model and nightclub performer who created the iconic Vampira character for a TV horror show in 1954. She became a friend and muse of James Dean, and later a recluse who refused to sign over her creation to the network.
