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Samantha Eggar, the English leading lady nominated for an Oscar for her work in the movie classic “The Collector” and the star of the horror staple “The Brood,” died Wednesday at 86.
Her daughter confirmed her passing, telling THR Eggar’s health had been poor for about five years, but that her mom had lived a “long, fabulous life.”
Eggar was born March 5, 1939, in Hampstead, London, growing up in WWII in nearby Bledlow, Buckinghamshire.
She studied acting in school and at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art ahead of a noteworthy career on the stage. She famously appeared in a 1962 production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which in part led to a scout spotting her and pushing her to audition for film work.
Her first films were “Dr. Crippen” and “The Wild and the Willing,” both in 1962, making time for a guest spot on the Roger Moore spy series “The Saint” (1963).
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She was perhaps most acclaimed for her star turn in director William Wyler’s “The Collector” (1965) with Terence Stamp. She won a Golden Globe for her performance as the victim of a kidnapping and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.
In 1966, Eggar became Cary Grant’s final leading lady in the rom-com “Walk, Don’t Run,” followed by the musical “Doctor Dolittle” (1967).
Among her other noteworthy films were the thriller “The Walking Stick” (1970), the historical drama “The Molly Maguires” (1970), the adventure “The Light at the Edge of the World” (1971), and several well-loved horror flicks, including “A Name for Evil” (1973), “Demonoid Messenger of Death” (1981), “The Uncanny” (1977), and “Curtains” (1983).
In fact, one of her most famous films became an iconic psychological horror movie — David Cronenberg’s “The Brood” (1979).
On television, she acted with Yul Brynner in a short-lived sitcom version of “The King and I” entitled “Anna and the King” (1972), and guested on series including “Columbo” (1977), “The Love Boat” (1979 & 1981), the pilot for “Falcon Crest” (1981), “Murder, She Wrote” (1984), “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1990), “Cold Case” (2004), “Commander in Chief” (2006-2006), and “The Nine Lives of Chloe King” (2011).
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She also had a recurring role on “All My Children” in 2000.
Later films included “The Phantom” (1996), “Hercules” (1997), and “The Astronaut’s Wife” (1999)
Eggar was married to Tom Stern from 1964-1971. She never remarried. She is survived by their children, Nicolas and Jenna Stern.
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