Karen Kondazian

Karen Kondazian's career as an actor started at the age of eight when she was chosen to be one of the infamous children on Art Linkletter's "Kids Say the Darndest Things." The opportunity to miss school during tapings was all it took for Karen to abandon her life's goal of becoming a spy and focus on acting. She was born in Boston, attended The University of Vienna and The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, after which she began her acting career in New York. Her first professional work was in Michael Cacoyannis' "The Trojan Women." She later won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Tennessee Williams' "The Rose Tattoo." Williams, after seeing her work in Tattoo, was so impressed that he gave her carte blanche to produce any of his plays in his lifetime. Her other award-winning performances of Williams include "Sweet Bird of Youth" (with Ed Harris) and "Vieux Carre." At the Fountain Theatre, Kondazian has starred in Williams' "Orpheus Descending," "Night of the Iguana," and "Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore..." plus Maria Callas in Terrence McNally's "Master Class." On television, she appeared as a series regular lead in CBS's "Shannon," and guest starred in over 50 television shows and films including: "James Dean" (with James Franco) and "Yes Giorgio" (with Luciano Pavarotti). She is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. Kondazian is also a multi-award winning novelist. Her debut novel, "The Whip," based on a true story, won a USA News Book Award, among others.