‘Sixteen Candles’ actress Carole Cook dead at 98

Carole Cook, a protégé of Lucille Ball who had roles in the movies “Sixteen Candles” and “The Incredible Mr. Limpet,” died Wednesday. She was 98.

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Cook died of heart failure three days shy of her 99th birthday in Beverly Hills, California, her husband, actor Tom Troupe, said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her agent, Robert Malcolm, also confirmed the actress’ death to CNN.

Cook played the role of Helen, Molly Ringwald’s grandmother, in the 1984 comedy “Sixteen Candles,” IMDb.com reported.

She also portrayed the wife of Don Knotts’ character who yearned to be a fish in 1964′s “The Incredible Mr. Limpet.”

Ball invited Cook to California, where she appeared in a 1959 episode of the comedian’s “Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. She then worked with Ball on 18 episodes of “The Lucy Show” from 1963 to 1968 and on five episodes of “Here’s Lucy” from 1969 to 1974, according to IMDb.com.

On television, Cook had roles in “Maude,” “Kojak,” “Dynasty” and “Cagney & Lacey,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

On Broadway, Cook played the role of Maggie Jones in the 1980 musical “42nd Street,” CNN reported.

Mildred Frances Cook was born in Abilene, Texas, on Jan. 14, 1924. After graduating in 1945 from Baylor University, where she studied Greek drama, Cook worked in regional theater and made it to Broadway in 1954 in a revival of “Threepenny Opera,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cook was appearing in “Kismet” in Warren, Ohio, when she received a call from Ball, who had read a review of her performance in “Annie Get Your Gun,” the entertainment news site reported. Ball asked her to come to California to audition.

Ball suggested Cook change her first name, suggesting “Carole” in honor of movie star Carole Lombard, Deadline reported.

“Like her, you have the same healthy disrespect for all things in general,” Ball reportedly told Cook.

The two remained lifelong friends, with Ball serving as matron-of-honor when Cook married Troupe in 1964, Deadline reported.

Away from the screen, Cook was a longtime advocate in the fight against HIV and AIDS, according to the entertainment news website.

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