Rula Lenska

Rula Lenska

1947-09-30

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rula Lenska (born Róża Maria Leopoldyna Łubieńska, 30 September 1947) is an English-Polish actress. She mainly appears in British stage and television productions, but is known in the United States for a series of commercials for Alberto VO5 hairspray in the late-1970s and early-1980s. Lenska was born at St. Neots, Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, England. Her family are members of the Polish nobility, and bearers of the Pomian coat of arms. They once owned a castle and estate in Kazimierza Wielka, Poland. Her father, Major Count Ludwik Łubieński, was personal secretary to Józef Beck, Minister for Foreign Affairs in Poland before the Nazi occupation of the country. Later, he became adjutant to General Władysław Sikorski, Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile and chief of the Polish military mission in Gibraltar during World War II. Łubieński later became head of the CIA-funded Polish Section of Radio Free Europe in Germany during the Cold War. Her mother was Countess Elżbieta Tyszkiewicz who escaped from Poland during the Nazi occupation, to Italy, but was captured with her own mother and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp where they survived for two years. Lenska was educated at the Ursuline Convent School in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent. Her big break was as Little Ladies' band member, "Q", in the British TV series Rock Follies (1976) and its sequel, Rock Follies of '77, the following year. By this time, she had renounced her title as a Polish countess. Lenska appeared in advertisements for the hair product Alberto VO5, which were shown on US television. Though Lenska was a popular actress in the UK, she was virtually unknown in the United States. In a Tonight Show monologue broadcast after the commercials started running, Johnny Carson asked "Who the hell is Rula Lenska?" and began using Lenska's name as a running joke on his show. Around the same time, Jane Curtin played Lenska in a sketch on Saturday Night Live.

Also appears in

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Alice in Terrorland

6.0

Jesus

Jesus

8.3

The Winter Witch

The Winter Witch

4.4

Confessions of a Pop Performer

Confessions of a Pop Performer

5.1

Royal Flash

Royal Flash

6.0

Aura

Aura

3.1

Queen Kong

Queen Kong

3.3

Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Mystery

Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Mystery

6.7

Alfie Darling

Alfie Darling

4.4

Soft Beds, Hard Battles

Soft Beds, Hard Battles

4.1

The Huntress of Auschwitz

The Huntress of Auschwitz

3.9

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray

7.0

The New Media Bible: The Gospel According to St. Luke

The New Media Bible: The Gospel According to St. Luke

Not yet rated

Wolf Manor

Wolf Manor

6.3

Jeepers Creepers

Jeepers Creepers

4.0

Bait

Bait

5.2

Gypo

Gypo

5.5

Mr. H Is Late

Mr. H Is Late

7.0

Jack Says

Jack Says

5.2

The Deadly Females

The Deadly Females

2.3