Kyra Schon
Encyclopedia
Kyra Schon is an American actress known for her role in the George A. Romero
film Night of the Living Dead
(1968) as Karen Cooper, the trowel-wielding zombie girl. She is a regular contributor to Dread Central, an online magazine dedicated to horror entertainment. She is the daughter of Karl Hardman
who played her father in the movie.
In 1968, when she was just a girl, she was selected to play Karen Cooper, the daughter of the bickering couple consisting of soft-spoken Helen, and the stubborn Harry Cooper in Night of the Living Dead
, which would later become a classic film. She was depicted as unconscious and only said two words for her entire role, which were: "I hurt". Since cast members consisted of Pittsburgh residents rather than big name actors, the daughter of Karl Hardman
, an investor and actor in the film, was selected to play Karen Cooper because of the film's tight budget. In the film, Karen was bitten by a zombie, which apparently infected her bloodstream with bacteria
and caused her to be unconscious for much of the film. She soon dies and reanimates and eats her dead father's corpse and stabs her mother to death with a cement
trowel
. She is presumably shot and killed during the posse's raid on the farmhouse.
Kyra's performance as the zombified child frightened many people in 1968, and she is thought of today as one of the most recognizable zombies in film history. In fact, on many editions of Night of the Living Dead, an iconic snapshot featuring a zombified Karen is on the cover. Kyra Schon was listed on Entertainment Weekly
as "Best Zombie" for the movie in the magazine's Halloween 2005 edition.
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
film Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
(1968) as Karen Cooper, the trowel-wielding zombie girl. She is a regular contributor to Dread Central, an online magazine dedicated to horror entertainment. She is the daughter of Karl Hardman
Karl Hardman
Karl Hardman was an American horror film producer and actor. He produced George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead and also co-starred as Harry Cooper. He also appeared in Santa Claws as Bruce Brunswick...
who played her father in the movie.
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
, which would later become a classic film. She was depicted as unconscious and only said two words for her entire role, which were: "I hurt". Since cast members consisted of Pittsburgh residents rather than big name actors, the daughter of Karl Hardman
Karl Hardman
Karl Hardman was an American horror film producer and actor. He produced George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead and also co-starred as Harry Cooper. He also appeared in Santa Claws as Bruce Brunswick...
, an investor and actor in the film, was selected to play Karen Cooper because of the film's tight budget. In the film, Karen was bitten by a zombie, which apparently infected her bloodstream with bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
and caused her to be unconscious for much of the film. She soon dies and reanimates and eats her dead father's corpse and stabs her mother to death with a cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
trowel
Trowel
A trowel is one of several similar hand tools used for digging, smoothing, or otherwise moving around small amounts of viscous or particulate material.-Hand tools:...
. She is presumably shot and killed during the posse's raid on the farmhouse.
Pop Culture Impact
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
as "Best Zombie" for the movie in the magazine's Halloween 2005 edition.
External links
- The Ghoul Next Door - Kyra Schon's Official Web Site