Lya Mara was born on August 1, 1897 in Riga, Russian Empire as Aleksandra Gudowiczówna. She was an actress, known for Anna Karenina (1920), Charlotte Corday (1919) and Kri-Kri, die Herzogin von Tarabac (1920). She was married to Frederic Zelnik. She died on March 1, 1960 in Ticino, Switzerland.