Person Biography:
Laryssa Lauret, also known as Lysniak, was an American actress of Ukrainian descent, born in Warsaw, Poland in 1932. After World War II, her family moved to a displaced persons camp in Munich, Germany, and eventually settled in New York City. She graduated from Textile High School and Hunter College, earning a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. She then pursued a Master's degree in Fine Arts from Columbia University.
Laryssa began her acting studies as a child in Austria, studying at the Saltzburg Theater and Film Institute, and later continued her training in New York with the Hirniak and Dobrovolska Studio, as well as under the tutelage of Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio and Uta Hagen's Herbert Berghof Studio.
She married Wolodymyr Lysniak, who studied theatre at Columbia and directing at Yale, and together they starred in several Ukrainian plays, including "Kaminnyi Hospodar" and "The Exhibit". Laryssa also wrote her own play, "Restitution", which explored the tensions between traditional Ukrainian and American values.
Laryssa's acting career spanned both Broadway and off-Broadway, as well as television and film. She appeared in numerous productions, including "Paris is out", "The Night of the Iguana", "Julia, Jake and Uncle Joe", "Everything is Illuminated", and "The Guiding Light". She also had long-running roles on the soap operas "The Doctors" and "The Guiding Light".
In addition to her acting credits, Laryssa was also an accomplished painter and sculptor, creating several works in each medium. She was a devoted wife, mother, and friend, and her real character in everyday life was defined by her selflessness and dedication to serving others.
