Samantha Egar dies: ‘Doctor Dolittle’ and ‘Brood’ star was 86
British actress Samantha Egar, star of Oscar-nominated films including David Cronenberg’s “The Collector,” “Doctor Dolittle” and “The Brood,” has died. She was 86 years old.
Egar died Wednesday evening, her daughter, Jenna Stern, announced Friday Instagram. Stern said her mother died “peacefully and quietly surrounded by family” and recalled being at the actor’s side “telling her how much she was loved.” The cause of death was not revealed.
Stern described her mother, who was also a prolific television actress, as “beautiful, intelligent, and strong enough to be amazingly vulnerable.”
Egar pursued a film career that spanned from the 1960s to the 1990s, and was best known for her work in The Collector, directed by William Wyler. The psychological horror film, based on John Fowles’s novel of the same name, features Eggar as a young art student kidnapped by a young loner portrayed by Terence Stamp. For the thriller, Egar received the Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival as well as a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.
After the film’s release, Eggar landed several roles, notably in the 1967 version of “Doctor Doolittle” opposite Rex Harrison, “Walk, Don’t Run” with Cary Grant, “The Molly Maguires” and “The Walking Stick”.
One of Eggar’s most memorable roles was in Cronenberg’s “The Brood,” released in 1979. She starred as Nola Carveth, a mental patient who receives radical psychiatric treatment amid a series of mysterious murders. The film also starred Oliver Reed and Art Heindel.
Throughout her film career, Egar has also appeared in dozens of television series ranging from “Anna and the King” (opposite “The King and I” star Yul Brynner), “Starsky & Hutch,” “The Love Boat” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Her more significant television roles included a voice acting part in the animated series “The Legend of Prince Valiant,” which ran for two seasons, and a stint as Charlotte Devane in the daytime drama “All My Children.”
The actress also lent her voice to the role of Hera in Disney’s “Hercules,” and then reprized the role in the classic animated video game and television series.
Egar was born on 5 March 1939 in Hampstead, London. Her father was a brigadier general in the British Army and her mother worked as an ambulance driver during World War II. She studied art and fashion at Thanet School of Arts and pursued acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Performing Arts, according to a statement shared by her daughter. Later in life, Egar returned to the stage, performing ‘The Lonely Road’ at the Old Vic and ‘The Seagull’ at the Oxford Playhouse and Theater Royal, Bath.
She also brought her talents to radio, lending her voice to over 40 California Artists Radio Theater productions. Egar was an animal lover and supporter of many environmental and health issues.
“Samantha Egar will be remembered not only for her unforgettable performances, but for her generosity, intelligence, and love of life,” the statement read.
Igar is survived by her children Nicholas and Gina and grandchildren Isabelle, Charlie and Calla. and sisters, Margaret Barron, Toni Maricic and Vivian Thursby.