English actress Samantha Eggar, renowned for receiving an Academy Award nomination and winning a Golden Globe as well as the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in the thriller “The Collector”, has passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 86. She is also remembered for her roles in “Doctor Dolittle” and David Cronenberg’s iconic horror film “The Brood.”
Her daughter, actress Jenna Stern, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram: “My Mama passed Wednesday evening. Peacefully and quietly surrounded by family. I was there next to her … holding her hand, telling her how much she was loved. It was beautiful. It was a privilege.”
Her family disclosed to TMZ that she battled with “a long illness” prior to her passing.
William Wyler’s unsettling thriller, “The Collector” (1965), featuring Terence Stamp as a peculiar captor holding Samantha Eggar’s character hostage, was pivotal in launching her career. She received three Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Adapted Screenplay for the film.
The following year, Eggar starred opposite Cary Grant in his final film, the romantic comedy “Walk Don’t Run.” In this movie, Grant’s character serves as a matchmaker for a U.S. athlete (Jim Hutton) and a young woman (Eggar) renting a room from him during the Tokyo Olympics. Variety praised the film for its “fine scripting, direction, and performances,” noting Eggar’s effective pacing.
This success paved the way for her role in the lavish production of “Doctor Dolittle,” where she played Emma Fairfax, the love interest of Rex Harrison’s titular character. (The film was later remade with Eddie Murphy.)
Eggar also took on the female lead in Martin Ritt’s 1970 film “The Molly Maguires,” alongside Sean Connery and Richard Harris. Both “Doctor Dolittle” and “The Molly Maguires” showcased her singing talents.
In 1970, she delivered a memorable performance in the British film “The Walking Stick,” portraying a woman psychologically impacted by childhood polio, and starred opposite Oliver Reed in Anatole Litvak’s last film, “The Lady in the Glasses With a Gun.”
Throughout the years, Eggar maintained a steady presence on television and in film, returning to horror in 1979 with Cronenberg’s “The Brood.” Critic Fernando F. Croce lauded Eggar’s portrayal of a matriarch in a surreal narrative, highlighting her striking performance.
Her crisp English accent led to voice work in the early ’90s, most famously in Disney’s 1997 animated film “Hercules,” where she voiced Hera, the queen of the gods, in a cast that featured Tate Donovan and James Woods. She later reprised this role in an ABC series.
Eggar previously lent her voice to Queen Guinevere in the animated series “The Legend of Prince Valiant” and contributed to various video games and most recently, the Adult Swim show “Metalocalypse.”
Her foray into series regular television began in 1972 with Yul Brynner in the CBS adaptation of “Anna and the King,” which had a brief run. After appearing in the horror movie “A Name for Evil” the following year, she shifted her focus to television movies, including a remake of “Double Indemnity,” before her return to feature films playing Dr. Watson’s wife in Herbert Ross’s “The Seven Per-Cent Solution,” based on Nicholas Meyer’s novel.
She starred in the 1977 horror film “The Uncanny” and continued her work in the genre with “The Exterminator” (1980) and further endeavors in horror, including “Demonoid: Messenger of Death” and “Curtains” (1983), alongside guest appearances on shows such as “Hawaii Five-O,” “Fantasy Island,” “The Love Boat,” and “Falcon Crest.”
In 1990, she made a guest appearance on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as Marie Picard, Captain Picard’s sister-in-law. She later recurred on Geena Davis’ show “Commander in Chief” during the 2005-06 season, playing Sarah Templeton, the Speaker of the House’s wife, portrayed by Donald Sutherland.
Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar was born in Hampstead, London, where she began her acting career with several Shakespearean companies.
Eggar’s film career took off with her feature debut in 1962’s “Young and Willing,” centered on college students and their escapades. She followed this with supporting roles in the hospital drama “Doctor” and the period crime drama “Dr. Crippen.”
Her notable work includes “Psyche 59,” directed by Alexander Singer, and the noir melodrama “Return From the Ashes” (1965), where she played the lover of a chess player amid post-war tension.
Eggar was married to actor Tom Stern from 1964 until 1971.
She leaves behind a daughter, actress Jenna Stern, and a son, film producer Nicolas Stern.
