Maureen Hingert Cause of Death; Sri Lankan Hollywood Actress Dies at 88

Maureen Hingert, the famous Hollywood actress and former Miss Universe runner-up, passed away peacefully on Sunday at the age of 88. Her daughter confirmed the news, sharing that Maureen died of liver failure at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.

Born in Sri Lanka in 1937, Hingert rose to fame after representing her country as Miss Ceylon. She made history by becoming the first contestant from Sri Lanka to reach the Miss Universe finals in 1955, held in Long Beach, California. That year was notable as the first Miss Universe contest broadcast on television. Hingert’s success helped put Sri Lanka on the international map.

Maureen Hingert is best remembered for her role in the classic Hollywood film The King and I. The movie was nominated for nine Oscars and won five Academy Awards. It starred famous actors Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, and Rita Moreno. Hingert also appeared in popular Western films like Gun Fever (1958) and Gunmen From Laredo (1959), often playing Native American characters.

After moving to California, Hingert signed a contract with Universal Studios. She appeared in Pillars of the Sky alongside Jeff Chandler and Dorothy Malone. Besides acting, she was a talented dancer in Los Angeles and featured in a Playboy magazine photoshoot in 1957 connected to her role in Gun Fever.

Her television work included episodes of The Adventures of Hiram Holliday, Death Valley Days, and Captain David Grief. By 1960, Hingert left acting to focus on family life. She married Mario Armond Zamparelli, a chief designer for Howard Hughes’ business empire. They were married from 1958 until their divorce in 1970.

The couple had three daughters. Sadly, two of them passed away early—Andrea in 2009 at age 42, and Gina in 2018 at age 59 due to a brain tumor.

Fans and admirers paid tribute to Hingert on social media. One wrote, “Rest in peace, Ms. Maureen Hingert. Thank you for bringing much glory to the ‘pearl in the Indian Ocean’—Sri Lanka.” Another called her “a true pioneer and icon remembered.”

Maureen Hingert’s legacy remains as a trailblazer for Sri Lankan talent in Hollywood and international beauty pageants.