‘Carrie’ and ‘Twin Peaks’ actor Piper Laurie passes away, aged 91

Three-time Academy Award nominee Piper Laurie has passed away at the age of 91.

The actor, known for her scene-stealing roles in Carrie and Twin Peaks, died of old age on Saturday, October 14, her manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press. 

“[Laurie] was a superb talent and a wonderful human being,” Rosenberg said. Born in 1932, Laurie’s career in Hollywood spanned seven decades, and included acclaimed performances in films like 1961 drama The Hustler opposite Paul Newman, the film adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie and the 1986 romance, Children of a Lesser God. 

Alongside those notable film roles – which each earned her an Oscar nomination – Laurie graced the silver screen with television appearances on Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Frasier and Twin Peaks, the last of which earned her two Emmy nominations in the 1990s.

Long considered one of the faces of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Laurie attracted headlines for her brief romance with Ronald Reagan, whom she starred opposite in the 1950 comedy Louisa.

Alongside Reagan, Laurie was known for her film credits with fellow actors and Golden Age stars Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Rory Calhoun, whom she appeared alongside in titles like The Golden Blade, Johnny Dark and Ain’t Misbehavin’, respectively. Despite her success, Laurie stepped away from acting for many years, in search of “an existence more meaningful for me”, she explained in a 1990 interview.

During her time away from the limelight, Laurie moved to a farmhouse in Woodstock, New York, and married film critic Joseph Morgenstern. The pair adopted their child, daughter Ann Grace, in 1971. Laurie’s career was reignited following her role as Margaret White in Carrie, portraying the deranged, fanatically religious mother of the titular high schooler to universal acclaim.

Carrie went on to become a box office success, sparking a craze for teenage horror films and earning Laurie her second Oscar nomination. With renewed interest in her Hollywood career, Laurie appeared in a slew of television shows including Law & Order and Will & Grace.

The actor’s most recent film credit was for the 2018 crime drama White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey.               

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