Adorable Story #137: Zsa Zsa Gabor
One Lifetime Is Not Enough
“I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.”
— Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor turned glamour into both a career and a philosophy.
Long before the age or red carpets and influencers, Zsa Zsa was crafting her own spotlight with nothing more than a sharp wit, an impeccable Hungarian accent, and a collection of husbands that could fill a gala table.
Born in Budapest and adored in Hollywood, she reminded the world that charm is a form of power, and self-confidence a kind of art.
Table of Contents: Early Life / Hollywood Arrival and Career Highlights / Love & Marriage / The Celebrity Persona / Books / Later Years
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Early Life
Zsa Zsa Gabor was born Sári Gábor on February 6th, 1917, in Budapest, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Her parents were Vilmos Gábor, a soldier turned jeweler, and Janka Tilleman (also known as Jolie Gábor), who managed a luxury jewelry store in Budapest.
Zsa Zsa was named after Sári Fedák, a Hungarian actress, but she was called “Zsa Zsa” by everybody in the family because, as a little girl, she was unable to pronounce her own name.
Zsa Zsa was the middle daughter in a trio that would later become famous: Magda Gabor (a socialite, born 1915) and Éva Gabor (an actress and businesswoman, born 1919, extensively featured in the Adorable Story #45).
All three sisters would eventually find fame, but Zsa Zsa was the first to become widely known in US and abroad.
As a teenager, Zsa Zsa attended Madame Subilia’s School for Girls in Lausanne, Switzerland: later in her life, she often credited her polished manners and sophistication to those formative years in Switzerland.
