Victoria Nersissian

Died 2018-06-04

Victoria Nersissian, professionally known as Victoria, was an Armenian-Iranian actress recognized for her contributions to Iranian cinema during the 1960s and early 1970s. Born in Rostov, Soviet Union, in 1937, she immigrated to Iran at the age of fourteen. She made her cinematic debut in Merchants of Death (1962), directed by Nasser Malek Motiei, and subsequently appeared in approximately twenty-five films during the height of Iran's pre-revolutionary commercial cinema. Known for her sophisticated screen presence and portrayals of complex, often antagonistic women, Nersissian gained particular recognition for her performance as Fetneh in Soltan-e Ghalbha (King of Hearts, 1968), directed by Mohammad Ali Fardin. Her other notable films include Devil's Ambush (1964), Hysteria (1965), Leyli and Majnun (1970), and Three-Eyed Ruby (1970). Despite her Armenian heritage, she worked with Armenian-Iranian directors on only two occasions, collaborating with Samuel Khachikian and Aramais Aghamalian. Nersissian retired from filmmaking in the early 1970s. Her final credited production was Do Kabootar (Two Doves), which was never theatrically released. She died on June 4, 2018, at the age of eighty-one, in northern Iran and was buried in Tehran. Her performances remain part of the legacy of Iranian popular cinema before the 1979 Revolution