Roxana Zal (born November 8, 1969) is an American former actress and fashion designer. In 1984, at the age of 14, she became the youngest Primetime Emmy Award winner for her title role in the television film ''

Something About Amelia ''Something About Amelia'' is a 1984 television film about psychological trauma caused in a family by a father's molestation of his daughter. The film stars Ted Danson, Glenn Close, Roxana Zal, and Missy Francis.O'Connor, John J. (9 January 1984 ...

''.

Life and career

Zal was born and raised in

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...

, the daughter of Maureen and Hossein Zal, an

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

ian-born Los Angeles investor. Her first acting role was a guest spot on ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...

'' at age 12. In 1983, Zal appeared in the films '' Table for Five'' starring

Jon Voight Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. He came to prominence in the late 1960s with his Academy Award–nominated performance as Joe Buck, a would-be gigolo, in ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969). During the 1970s, h ...

and '' Testament'' opposite

Jane Alexander Jane Alexander (née Quigley; born October 28, 1939) is an American actress and author. She is the recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and nominations for four Academy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. From 1993 to 19 ...

. In 1984 she won a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the television film ''

''. She also received a

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film is an award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It is the Golden Globe Award given in honor of an actress who has del ...

nomination for her performance. Zal later starred in the 1986 independent crime film ''

River's Edge ''River's Edge'' is a 1986 American crime drama film directed by Tim Hunter, written by Neal Jimenez, and starring Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye Leitch, Daniel Roebuck and Dennis Hopper. It follows a group of teenagers in a Norther ...

'' and in 1989 starred in the teen romantic drama film '' Under the Boardwalk''. In 1990, Zal appeared in a number of made-for-television and independent films playing supporting roles. She also guest starred in a number of television series, including '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', '' The Pretender'' and '' NCIS''. In 2006, she was a regular cast member on the

MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyTV, MyNet, MNT or MNTV, and sometimes referred to as My Network) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its ...

telenovela ''

Watch Over Me ''Watch Over Me'' is an American television series that debuted on December 6, 2006 on MyNetworkTV. Twentieth Television produced 66 episodes to air weekdays. The limited-run serial is an adaptation of Argentine series '' Resistiré''. Dayan ...

''. Zal left acting and became a fashion designer in the 2000s.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zal, Roxana 1969 births American child actresses American film actresses American people of Iranian descent American television actresses Actresses from California Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Malibu, California Living people 21st-century American women