Katya Paskaleva

Katya Paskaleva was born on September 18, 1945 in Petrich. She graduated the Higher Institute on Theater and Movie Arts, where she attended the acting class of Metodi Andonov, as Stefan Danailov, Ilia Dobrev, and Stefan Mavrodiev were among her classmates. She made her movie premier in 1967 with a small part in Otklonenie (Sidetracked). Some of her most popular movie roles were also Stefka in Vilna Zona (Villa Zone, 1975, directed by Edward Zahariev), Liza Strezova in Zvezdi v Kosite, Salzi v Ochite (Stars in Her Hair, Tears in Her Eyes, 1977, directed by Ivan Nichev), Maria in Spirka za Nepoznati (Stop for Strangers, 1989, directed by Ivan Rosenov), Militsa in Bedniat Luka (The Poor Lucas, 1979, directed by Yakim Yakimov). Along with her colleagues Nevena Kokanova, Emilia Radeva, Milka Tuikova, and Katya Chukova, she played Stanka in Matriarhat (Matriarchate, 1977, directed by Lyudmil Kirkov). Besides in Pazardjik, Katya Paskaleva acted also in the drama theaters in Tolbuhin (today Dobrich), Plovdiv, and the Sofia Drama Theater. In 1985 she moved to the Aleko Konstantinov State Satiric Theater. Her name is related to a number of theater roles, such as Albena in the Yovkov’s story, Nina Zarechnaia in the Chekhov's The Seagull, Rosalind in the Shakespeare's As You Like It, Sarah in the Pinter’s The Lover – some of her most remarkable theater parts. In 1972 in Panama Katya Paskaleva was awarded the prize for the best female role in the movie Koziat Rog (The Goat's Horn), and she was awarded the Brussels `73 - Femina Award for Best Actress, and Karlovy Vary `72 - Special Jury Award. The same year she was awarded Golden Rose for her acting in Villa Zone. She was also awarded by the Union of Bulgarian Film Makers for the Best actress – in Pamet (Memory, 1986), and Eva na Tretiya Etazh (Eve on the Third Floor, 1987). Katya Paskaleva, the favorite of million Bulgarians, died in Sofia on July 23, 2002.