Piper Laurie has died aged 91.
The Emmy-winning actress, best known for her work in David Lynch’s iconic TV series ‘Twin Peaks’ and in Brian de Palma’s ‘Carrie’, passed away on Saturday (14.10.23) after a long battle with illness.
Her manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed the news of her death in a statement that praised the star as “one of the most remarkable and versatile actresses of her day”, as well as a “brilliant and creative mind: and “glorious human being”.
She also stated Piper was a “beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time”.
Piper played religious fanatic Margaret White in ‘Carrie’, mum to the film’s telekinetic title character, and her crazed performance earned an Oscar nomination.
The actress landed her first Academy Award nomination for her work in the 1961 film ‘The Hustler’, in which she starred alongside Paul Newman.
Born Rosetta Jacobs in 1932, she also won a Golden Globe for her role in cult-classic ‘Twin Peaks’ as Catherine Martell, and was nominated for two of her nine Emmy nominations for the role.
Piper informally retired to raise a family for more than a decade with her film critic husband Joe Morgenstern – who she divorced in 1982.
But she returned to film and television in the mid-1970s and racked up an impressive roster of character parts.
She scored her last Emmy nomination in 1999 for a guest role on the sitcom ‘Frasier’ in which she played the mum of a radio psychologist played by Christine Baranski.
Her last film appearances included 2004’s ‘Eulogy’, in which she played the matriarch of a dysfunctional family and ‘The Dead Girl’, which saw her play another cruel mum.
She is survived by her daughter Anne Grace.