Piper Laurie, the strong-willed, Oscar-nominated actor who performed in acclaimed roles despite at one point abandoning acting altogether in search of a 鈥渕ore meaningful鈥� life, died early Saturday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 91.
Laurie died of old age, her manager, Marion Rosenberg, told The Associated Press via email, adding that she was 鈥渁 superb talent and a wonderful human being.鈥�
Laurie arrived in Hollywood in 1949 as Rosetta Jacobs and was quickly given a contract with Universal-International, a new name that she hated and a string of starring roles with Ronald Reagan, Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis, among others.
She went on to receive Academy Award nominations for three distinct films: The 1961 poolroom drama 鈥淭he Hustler鈥�; the film version of Stephen King鈥檚 horror classic 鈥淐arrie,鈥� in 1976; and the romantic drama 鈥淐hildren of a Lesser God,鈥� in 1986. She also appeared in several acclaimed roles on television and the stage, including in David Lynch鈥檚 鈥淭win Peaks鈥� in the 1990s as the villainous Catherine Martell.
Laurie made her debut at 17 in 鈥淟ouisa,鈥� playing Reagan鈥檚 daughter, then appeared opposite Francis the talking mule in 鈥淔rancis Goes to the Races.鈥� She made several films with Curtis, whom she once dated, including 鈥淭he Prince Who Was a Thief,鈥� 鈥淣o Room for the Groom,鈥� 鈥淪on of Ali Baba鈥� and 鈥淛ohnny Dark.鈥�
Fed up, she walked out on her $2,000-a-week contract in 1955, vowing she wouldn鈥檛 work again unless offered a decent part.
She moved to New York, where she found the roles she was seeking in theater and live television drama.
Performances in 鈥淒ays of Wine and Roses,鈥� 鈥淭he Deaf Heart鈥� and 鈥淭he Road That Led After鈥� brought her Emmy nominations and paved the way for a return to films, including in an acclaimed role as Paul Newman鈥檚 troubled girlfriend in 鈥淭he Hustler.鈥�
For many years after, Laurie turned her back on acting. She married film critic Joseph Morgenstern, welcomed a daughter, Ann Grace, and moved to a farmhouse in Woodstock, New York. She said later that the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War had influenced her decision to make the change.
鈥淚 was disenchanted and looking for an existence more meaningful for me,鈥� she recalled, adding that she never regretted the move.
鈥淢y life was full,鈥� she said in 1990. 鈥淚 always liked using my hands, and I always painted.鈥�
Laurie also became noted as a baker, with her recipes appearing in The New York Times.
Her only performing during that time came when she joined a dozen musicians and actors in a tour of college campuses to support Sen. George McGovern鈥檚 1972 presidential bid.
Laurie was finally ready to return to acting when director Brian De Palma called her about playing the deranged mother of Sissy Spacek in 鈥淐arrie.鈥�
At first she felt the script was junk, and then she decided she should play the role for laughs. Not until De Palma chided her for putting a comedic turn on a scene did she realize he meant the film to be a thriller.
鈥淐arrie鈥� became a box-office smash, launching a craze for movies about teenagers in jeopardy, and Spacek and Laurie were both nominated for Academy Awards.
Her desire to act rekindled, Laurie resumed a busy career that spanned decades. On television, she appeared in such series as 鈥淢atlock,鈥� 鈥淢urder, She Wrote鈥� and 鈥淔rasier鈥� and played George Clooney鈥檚 mother on 鈥淓R.鈥�
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Bob Thomas, a longtime and now deceased staffer of The Associated Press, was the principal writer of this obituary. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed from Des Moines, Iowa.
Bob Thomas, The Associated Press
