Piper Laurie, the determined and Academy Award-nominated actress who delivered memorable performances, passed away on Saturday at the age of 91
Laurie’s manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed the news, writing, “A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time.”
Hollywood Debut and Career
- In 1949, Laurie made her way to Hollywood under the alias Rosetta Jacobs, where she swiftly secured a deal with Universal-International. Despite her strong dislike for the new name she was assigned, she embarked on a series of leading roles alongside actors such as Ronald Reagan, Rock Hudson, and Tony Curtis, to name a few.
- Laurie had her first screen appearance at the age of 17 when she starred as Reagan’s daughter in “Louisa.” Following that, she shared the screen with Francis, the talking mule, in “Francis Goes to the Races.” She collaborated in multiple films with Curtis, with whom she had a past romantic relationship, including titles like “The Prince Who Was a Thief,” “No Room for the Groom,” “Son of Ali Baba,” and “Johnny Dark. Laurie scored her first Oscar nomination for her work opposite Paul Newman in 1961’s classic poolhall drama “The Hustler,” in which she played an alcoholic who memorably tells Newman’s character, “Look, I’ve got troubles and I think maybe you’ve got troubles. Maybe it’d be better if we just leave each other alone.”
- After some time had passed, Laurie abandoned her acting career. She tied the knot with film critic Joseph Morgenstern, embraced motherhood with the arrival of their daughter, Ann Grace, and relocated to a farmhouse in Woodstock, New York. She later revealed that her choice had been influenced by the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.
Comeback
Laurie’s readiness to return to the world of acting was signaled when director Brian De Palma contacted her regarding the opportunity to portray the unhinged mother of Sissy Spacek in “Carrie.” Initially, she dismissed the script as subpar, but she eventually considered taking on the role with a comedic twist. It wasn’t until De Palma gently reprimanded her for infusing humor into a scene that she realized his intention for the film was to create a thriller.
“Carrie” went on to become a blockbuster, igniting a trend in movies centered around teenagers facing peril. Both Spacek and Laurie received Academy Award nominations for their performances.
This experience reignited Laurie’s passion for acting, leading her to enjoy a prolific career that spanned several decades. On the small screen, she graced series such as “Matlock,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Frasier,” and also took on the role of George Clooney’s mother in “ER.”
Early life
Born as Rosettaa Jacobs in 1932 on January 22, she was the youngest of two daughters. Her father was a furniture dealer with her mother working as a housewife. She was an exemplary actress and had been nominated for an Emmy nine times during the span of her career.