Actress Samantha Eggar passes away at 86 after a long illness

Samantha Eggar. Pic/Instagram

English-born Samantha Eggar is no more. The news of her demise was shared by her daughter, actress Jenna Stern, 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," she posted.

Samantha, 86, struggled with "a long illness" before her death, her family told TMZ, as per Variety. Nominated for three Oscars, including best director and adapted screenplay, William Wyler's chilling 1965 thriller "The Collector," in which an odd fellow played by Terence Stamp holds Samantha Eggar's character captive, gave an early boost to her career.

By the next year she starred with Cary Grant in his last picture, Columbia romantic comedy "Walk Don't Run," in which Grant's character plays matchmaker between a U.S. athlete (Jim Hutton) competing at the Tokyo Olympics and the young gal (Eggar) from whom he is renting a room.

The success of that film led to her casting in the high-budget "Doctor Dolittle," starring as Emma Fairfax, love interest to the good doctor as played by Rex Harrison. ("Dolittle," of course, was remade decades later with Eddie Murphy.) Eggar was married to actor Tom Stern from 1964-71. She is survived by a daughter, actress Jenna Stern, and a son, film producer Nicolas Stern.

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