Veteran actress Karmen Azzopardi passes away aged 88

Veteran actress Karmen Azzopardi has passed away at age 88, on Wednesday.

The news was broken by film director Mario Philip Azzopardi on Facebook in the afternoon.

Azzopardi played many leading roles and took part in several television productions, cultural programmes, interviews, discussions and also Maltese tv series. She was a great lover of Maltese Literature, often seen reading poems during literature programmes.

A number of Maltese actors paid their respects to Azzopardi, posting tributes and messages of gratitude for her career.

Born in Hamrun, Azzopardi completed a Teacher Training Course in 1952 and some time after she joined the British Institute Players and started her acting career.

She used to write scripts and take part in programmes for school children broadcasting on the Redifussion. In the sixties she went to London and took an intensive course at the Actors studio.

Government had also sent her on a BBC Course and on her return, she took part in several important productions (always in leading roles). In 1960 she won the Best actress Trophy in theatrical competition hosted by the Malta Drama League.

In 1965 she won the Manoel Theatre Award. She also won the Redifussion Gold star twice as best radio play actress. In 1974, with the help of other personalities she established Atturi Theatre Group.

Azzopardi was the co-foundress of Unjoni Nazzjonali tad-Drama and for two years Chairperson of the Federation of Companies and Kumpanija Atturi Productions. For six years she was a member of the Government Censors Board and judge of festivals and works for radio and stage.

In 1998 she accompanied her husband, Chev. Paul Naudi who was appointed Ambassador of Malta, to Moscow.