Harout was born in
Los Angeles, California on April 22, 1926, to Armenian-born stage actor Yeghishe Harout, and his wife Gohar. Her father was also the proprietor of the Ivar Theatre, which opened on the
Hollywood Boulevard in 1951. During the 1940s, Harout was a
pageant queen, and in 1943 she sold
war bonds to support U.S. troops during
World War II. On May 29, 1947, she married Robert Thomas Kardashian (1920–1998), an
Army Air Forces veteran, at the First Congregation Church in Los Angeles. They later honeymooned in
Hawaii. Her stage credits included
Nine Armenians (1997) by Leslie Ayvazia and
The Kiss at City Hall (2000). She received a number of awards for her appearances on stage, including from
LA Weekly,
Drama-Logue and the LA Drama Critics Circle. In 1999, Harout played the role of Aunt Alma in the independent comedy film
A Wake in Providence. Producer and writer
Vincent Pagano cast Harout promptly after meeting her, stating that "Magda opened her mouth, and we immediately fell in love with her voice.". Harout spoke
Russian,
Armenian and
French, and dyed her hair lighter in order not to be typecast in stereotypical ethnic roles. She also appeared in a number of
television commercials. ==Partial filmography==