Brunhilde Marie Joerns, later known as Laya Raki, was born near Brunswick, Germany, the daughter of a German vaudevillian and circus artiste who earned his living with magic acts and acrobatics. Her Javanese mother left when Laya was just five years old.
Life was tough in the aftermath of World War II, and at 17, Laya found herself cashing in on the erotic cabaret craze by performing striptease at the Monte Carlo club in Berlin. With a background in ballet and acrobatics, she was well-suited to perform exotic and alluring dances.
She became an overnight success, photographed well as a pin-up, and even introduced the Cuban mambo to German audiences. In 1948, she adopted her stage name, Laya Raki, inspired by the Ufa star La Jana.
With her newfound fame, Laya performed in nightclubs across Scandinavia, Switzerland, and Italy, and eventually landed film roles. Her breakthrough came in 1950 with the comedy Die Dritte von rechts, directed by Géza von Cziffra.
However, her career was almost derailed when a conman, posing as a producer and director, shanghaied her to London with false promises of a lucrative contract. The scandal led to a public outcry, but ultimately, the publicity worked in her favor.
Laya went on to star in films such as Land of Fury, Quentin Durward, and Küß mich noch einmal, often playing exotic and alluring characters. She also had leading roles in the Austrian romance Roter Mohn and the West German comedy Küß mich noch einmal.
Publicity followed her everywhere, and she became a household name, gracing the covers of magazines and postcards, often wearing revealing outfits. A wardrobe malfunction during the Berlin Film Festival in 1961 only added to her popularity.
With acting lessons under her belt, Laya guested in American TV shows, including Hawaiian Eye, Tales of Wells Fargo, and I Spy. She also appeared in the British adventure series Crane, playing the role of Halima, a local dancer and bartender.
After a few decent roles, Laya retired from the screen in 1966. She married Australian actor Ron Randell until his death in 2005 and later married Duane O. Wood, a former vice president of Lockheed International.
