Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Eggar dies aged 86 as family pays tribute to 'beautiful, intelligent and tough' star
Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Eggar has passed away aged 86.
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The family of the Dr Dolittle and Star Trek star confirmed she had passed away at her home in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Her daughter, Jenna Stern, paid tribute to Eggar’s “long, fabulous life” as she confirmed her mother had been battling illness for the last five years.
She wrote: “Beautiful, intelligent and tough enough to be fascinatingly vulnerable…Samantha Eggar (1939-2025).
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“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.”
The daughter of a British Army officer, Eggar was born in London in 1939 and grew up in Hampstead.
Her career began on stage, appearing with the Old Vic and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre before turning to film and television in the early 1960s.
She rose to international fame after starring opposite Terence Stamp in The Collector (1965).
Her performance won her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination.
She went on to appear in a string of high-profile films, including Doctor Dolittle (1967) alongside Rex Harrison and Walk Don’t Run (1966) with Cary Grant.
She would maintain a steady career in voice acting and guest television roles into the 1990s and 2000s.