British actress Samantha Eggar, the Oscar-nominated star of such films as The Collector, Doctor Dolittle and David Cronenberg's The Brood, has died. She was 86.
Eggar died Wednesday evening, her daughter Jenna Stern said Friday. Instagram. Stern said her mother died “peacefully and quietly surrounded by family” and recalled being by the actor's side, “telling her how much she was loved.” The cause of death has not been announced.
Stern described her mother, who was also a prolific television actress, as “beautiful, smart and strong enough to be incredibly vulnerable.”
Eggar's film career spanned from the 1960s to the 1990s, and she was best known for her work in The Collector, directed by William Wyler. In the psychological horror film, based on the novel of the same name by John Fowles, Eggar played a young art student who is kidnapped by the reclusive young man he was portraying. Terence Stamp. For this thriller, Eggar received the Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.
Following the film's release, Eggar landed numerous roles, notably in the 1967 version of Doctor Dolittle with Rex Harrison, Walk Don't Run with Cary Grant, Molly Maguires and Cane.
One of Eggar's most memorable roles was in Cronenberg's 1979 film The Brood. She played the role of Nola Carveth, a mentally ill patient undergoing radical psychotherapeutic treatment amid a series of mysterious murders. The film also stars Oliver Reed and Art Hindle.
Throughout her film career, Eggar has also appeared in a variety of television series, ranging from Anna and the King (opposite The King and I star Yul Brynner), Starsky and Hutch, The Love Boat and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Her more substantial television roles included voice acting on the animated series The Legend of Prince Valiant, which ran for two seasons, and the role of Charlotte Devane on the daytime drama All My Children.
The actress also voiced Hera in Disney's Hercules, and then reprized the role in the video game and TV series spin-off of the animated classic.
Eggar was born on 5 March 1939 in Hampstead, London. Her father was a brigadier general in the British Army and her mother worked as an ambulance driver during the Second World War. According to her daughter's statement, she studied art and fashion at Thanet School of Art and acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Eggar later returned to the stage, performing The Lonely Road at the Old Vic and The Seagull at the Oxford Theater and the Theater Royal, Bath.
She also brought her talent to radio, scoring over 40 productions for the California Artists Radio Theatre. Eggar was an animal enthusiast and a supporter of several environmental and health initiatives.
“Samantha Eggar will be remembered not only for her unforgettable performances, but also for her generosity, wit and love of life,” the statement said.
Eggar is survived by her children Nicholas and Jenna, grandchildren Isabelle, Charlie and Calla; and sisters Margaret Barron, Toni Maricic and Vivienne Thursby.
