British actress Samantha Eggar has died at the age of 86, her daughter, actress Jenna Stern, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Eggar passed away on Wednesday at her home in Sherman Oaks after battling illness for the past five years. Despite her health struggles, Stern described her mother as having “lived a long, fabulous life.”
Born Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar on March 5, 1939, in Hampstead, England, she spent her early years in the Buckinghamshire countryside. During World War II, Eggar lived with family friends in the countryside and spent 12 years in a convent. It was there that her love of the arts blossomed, nurtured by exposure to plays, concerts, and poetry.
Although Eggar earned a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, her mother discouraged her from pursuing acting. Instead, she was allowed to attend art school to study painting and drawing. After graduation, Eggar worked as a fashion artist.
Her journey into acting took a decisive turn when her cousin encouraged her to apply to the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts. Recalling the moment, Eggar said, “He said, ‘Here’s the door… get in there. Go and do it.’ ‘Do those bits you’ve done. You’ve got your own version of Ophelia. And you’ve got some poems you’ve learned.’ So I did. And the next thing I know, I’m accepted.”
In 1959, before completing her training at Webber Douglas, Eggar was offered a role in Cecil Beaton’s play *Landscape With Figures*, which centers on the painter Thomas Gainsborough. Her breakthrough came when producer Betty E. Box cast her as a college coed in *Young and Willing* (1962). This was followed by roles in *Doctor in Distress* (1963), *Dr. Crippen* (1963), and *Psyche 59* (1964).
Eggar’s most notable role came in 1965 when she starred as Miranda Grey in the psychological horror film *The Collector*, directed by William Wyler and co-starring Terence Stamp. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where both leads won Best Actress and Best Actor awards. Eggar also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, ultimately losing to Julie Christie for *Darling*.
Throughout the 1960s, Eggar appeared in numerous films, including *Return from the Ashes*, *Walk, Don’t Run*, and *Doctor Dolittle*.
In 1972, Eggar moved to Los Angeles to further her acting career. She starred opposite Yul Brynner in the CBS adaptation of *The King and I* and played Phyllis Dietrichson in the 1973 ABC remake of *Double Indemnity*. Her other film credits include *Ragin’ Cajun*, *Dark Horse*, *Inevitable Grace*, *The Phantom*, *The Astronaut’s Wife*, *The Seven-Per-Cent Solution*, *The Dead Are Alive!*, *A Name for Evil*, *The Uncanny*, *Curtains*, and *The Brood*. Eggar also appeared on television in shows such as *Star Trek: The Next Generation* and *Commander in Chief*.
Beyond her acting career, Eggar served as a lector and lay minister at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills and at Saint Francis de Sales Parish in Sherman Oaks. She led weekly meditations there until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eggar was married to American actor Tom Stern from 1964 until their divorce in 1971. Stern passed away last year.
Her family remembered her deep love for animals: “To know Sam was to understand her love for animals, all creatures great and small. Her beloved pups ranged from Great Danes to Dalmatians, street rescues to her adored bulldogs, their leashes still hanging in memoriam, long after their passing.”
Samantha Eggar’s legacy endures through her diverse body of work and the profound impact she made both on and off the screen.
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