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Irina Taseva - a Mother's Tribute

Irina Taseva (in Bulgarian: Ирина Тасева) was a Bulgarian actress.[1] She was born on July 22, 1910 in the town of Kiustendil, Bulgaria. She graduated from high school in Sofia, Bulgaria and then enrolled in drama theatre classes with the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia. She first stepped onto the stage in 1930 and played many classical roles.

SOCAL: Your mother was a successful stage actress in Europe. Did you always know you wanted to be a performer or did you have an aha! moment independent of her career? Do you have any brothers or sisters and if so, what do they do?

Irina: Since I was born literally in my mother’s dressing room at the National Theatre in Sofia, Bulgaria, it was all so clear to me what I wanted to do in life. I wanted to be an actress. This desire has never left me my entire life. Against my mother’s will I became a child actress. She was coaching children for an audition as the girlfriend of Pinocchio and I went to the audition without her knowledge and got the part. I was six. I was a little Bulgarian black haired Shirley Temple

Irina Taseva (in Bulgarian: Ирина Тасева) was a Bulgarian actress.[1] She was born on July 22, 1910 in the town of Kiustendil, Bulgaria. She graduated from high school in Sofia, Bulgaria and then enrolled in drama theatre classes with the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia. She first stepped onto the stage in 1930 and played many classical roles. Her career as an actress ended in 1980, and she died on February 21, 1990 in Sofia.

Of note is the release of her CD Illusions produced by music industry greats Michele Brourman and Stephan Oberhoff as well as creating and co-writing the stage show Illusions with renowned Broadway director and writer Randy Johnson which ran at the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles for two consecutive years. And now, she is currently at work writing a screenplay for an upcoming film.

In 2017, Maleeva was bestowed the South East European Film Festival’s SEEfest Life Achievement Award — an honor that was presented to her by the Mayor of Beverly Hills — in addition to kicking off the SEEfest festival with a live performance of her musical Gypsy in My Soul directed by Carlyle King at the WACO Theater Center in the colorful North Hollywood arts district.

Reception in Sophia
Ivan Vazov Medal
2024

Actress-Philanthropist Irina Maleeva receives the Ivan Vazov Medal from Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev

Famed international performer Irina Maleeva, who has starred in movies, television, recordings, and on stage in both theater and cabaret performances, was honored at the Bulgarian Consulate in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Maleeva was given the prestigious Ivan Vazov Medal from the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry for her significant contributions to the popularization of Bulgarian art and culture worldwide, for active patriotic activity dedicated to the preservation of Bulgarian spiritual values on American soil and for support of young Bulgarian talents in Los Angeles.

The event, attended by Bulgarian Prime Minister Glavchev, was hosted by Consul Boyko Hristov for the grand opening of the new location of the Bulgarian Consulate in Westwood. Maleeva was introduced by Hristov with a beautiful speech about her many achievements before Prime Minister Glavchev presented her with the award.

"It was an emotional evening!