Lya Mara was born as Aleksandra Gudowiczówna in Riga on August 1 1897. The daughter of a civil servant, she went to catholic boarding school. A successful ballet dancer, she performed in Riga and Warsaw, where she became a member of the state theatre. In 1917, Lya Mara was brought to Berlin by producer and director Friedrich Zelnik, who made popular films perfectly suited for his new star.

The same year, the two married and from 1920 on, they produced films under the moniker Zelnik-Mara Film GmbH. Mara starred in lightweight fare like"Die Ehe der Fürstin Demtdoff" or "Das Mädel vom Picadilly", in which she either played noble ladies or naïve girls from the countryside. From 1924 on, she only made two Zelnik films a year, among them immensely successful operettas like "Die Försterchristel", "An der schönen blauen Donau" and "Das tanzende Wien". At that time, Harry Liedtke and Wilhelm Dieterle were screen partners of Lya Mara, who perfectly embodied the "Viennese Girl" and enjoyed great popularity all over Europe. Her stardom also was the subject of a novel, "Lya. Der Herzensroman einer Kinokönigin", which was published in 100 episodes between 1927 and 1928.

In 1931, "Jeder fragt nach Erika" was to be the last film of Lya Mara, whose career virtually ended with the introduction of sound. Together with Friedrich Zelnik, she relocated to London in 1932. After her husband"s death, all traces of her were lost.

Lya Mara died March 1, 1960. She is buried in Ronco sopra Ascona in Switzerland.