- Born
- Died
- Birth nameLiesbet Dotulong
- Nickname
- Liesje Mandagi
- Maria Menado was born on February 1, 1932 in Tondano, Sulawesi, Dutch East Indies [now Indonesia]. She was an actress and producer, known for Victim of Slander (1961), Permata di perlimbahan (1952) and Singapore (1960). She was married to Mohammad Husain Yusof, Abu Bakar of Pahang and A. Razak Sheikh Mohamed. She died on April 30, 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- SpousesMohammad Husain Yusof(1978 - 2000) (his death)Abu Bakar of Pahang(1963 - May 5, 1974) (his death, 3 children)A. Razak Sheikh Mohamed(1950 - 1963) (divorced, 2 children)
- Was the subject of a career retrospective at the 2003 Singapore International Film Festival. However, she could not attend personally due to concerns about the SARS virus.
- Adopted her stage-name from the town of her birth.
- At the peak of her career, she also received international recognition, including the title of "Malaya's Most Beautiful Woman" by Times Magazine and "Southeast Asia's Most Attractively Dressed Woman" by the United Press International news agency.
- It was her role as a vampire in the film "Pontianak" that gave Maria fame in 1957. "Pontianak" was the first Malay horror film. The script for this film is a collaboration with her ex-husband, A. Razak Sheikh Mohamed. Maria supplied the vampire stories she had heard while in Indonesia and they weaved the film's plot together.
- By the time Liesbet (= Maria Menado) was seventeen, she was known locally for her beauty, and appeared as a fashion model in magazines and newspapers.
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