Lilia Skala, Austrian-American actress (b. 1896)
Lilia Skala (née Sofer; 28 November 1896 – 18 December 1994) was an Austrian-American architect and actress. She is perhaps best known for her role in the film Lilies of the Field (1963), for which she received critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination. During her career, Skala was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Before Skala decided to be an actress, she practiced architecture as a profession. She was one of the first women architects in Austria and was the first female member of the Austrian Association of Engineers and Architects. She graduated from the University of Dresden Summa cum Laude; the institution is now known as the Technical University of Dresden, located in Germany.
Her legendary life was the subject of the eponymous one-woman play Lilia!, written and performed by her granddaughter Libby Skala.