Oscar-winning ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ actor, Louise Fletcher has died at the age of 88.
Fletcher died at her house in France on Friday, her representative told Variety. She won the Oscar for best actress for her performance as Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
Fletcher’s representative said she died in her sleep but did not provide a cause of death, Deadline reported.
Fletcher was born on July 22, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama, according to Deadline. Her parents were both deaf, and when she accepted her Oscar, she used sign language in her speech, according to Deadline.
In addition to Fletcher winning an Oscar, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” also wonthe awards for best picture, best director, best actor and best screenplay, becoming the first film in four decades to sweep the Oscars, according to Variety.
Angela Lansbury, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Colleen Dewhurst and Geraldine Page each turned down the Ratched role, according to Variety. Fletcher’s Nurse Rached was named the fifth greatest villain in history by the American Film Institute in the TV special, “AFI’s 100 Years... 100 Heroes & Villains.”
Fletcher’s career began in the 1950s with a few roles in television series including “Maverick,” “77 Sunset Strip” and “The Untouchables.” She also had a recurring role on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” according to Deadline, and a few guest roles in “Picket Fences” and “Joan of Arcadia,” which got her Emmy nominations in 1996 and 2004.
Fletcher was married to Jerry Bick, who was a producer and a Hollywood literary agent, according to Variety. He died in 2004. She is survived by her sons, John Dashiell Bick and Andrew Wilson Bick.
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