Piper Laurie, Three-Time Oscar Nominee Known for ‘The Hustler’ and ‘Carrie,’ Passes Away at 91
Renowned actress Piper Laurie, who thrived in her career after breaking free from the studio system, has passed away at the age of 91.
Laurie’s manager, Marion Rosenberg, confirmed the sad news, describing her as “a beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time.”
Piper Laurie earned her first Oscar nomination for her remarkable performance alongside Paul Newman in the iconic 1961 film “The Hustler.” In this classic pool hall drama, she portrayed an alcoholic character who famously told Newman’s character, “Maybe it’d be better if we just leave each other alone.”
After an informal hiatus to focus on raising a family, Laurie made a triumphant return to the world of film and television in the mid-’70s. She went on to deliver remarkable characterizations, garnering Oscar nominations for her roles in “Carrie” and “Children of a Lesser God.” Notably, her chilling portrayal of the mother in “Carrie” left a lasting impact, as she transformed her own fear of sexuality into a twisted personal religion, as noted by Roger Ebert.
Laurie’s performance as the scheming and power-hungry Catherine Martell in David Lynch’s groundbreaking TV series “Twin Peaks” earned her two out of her nine Emmy nominations. Her sole Emmy win came for her role in the powerful 1986 “Hallmark Hall of Fame” production “Promises,” in which she played a character offering support to individuals dealing with schizophrenia.
Her last Emmy nomination came in 1999 for a guest role on the sitcom “Frasier,” in which she portrayed the mother of a radio psychologist modeled after Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
Piper Laurie’s career took an interesting turn when she negotiated her way out of her contract with Universal in the mid-’50s after playing a series of ingenue roles in unremarkable films. She delivered an impressive supporting performance in Robert Wise’s “Until They Sail” (1957), alongside Jean Simmons, Paul Newman, and Joan Fontaine.
After relocating to New York, she appeared in television productions of “Twelfth Night” and “Caesar and Cleopatra.” Laurie received Emmy nominations for her work in the original dramas “The Deaf Heart” on “Studio One in Hollywood” and “Days of Wine and Roses” with Cliff Robertson on “Playhouse 90.” Director Robert Rossen discovered her at the Actors Studio and offered her the role of the alcoholic Sarah Packard in “The Hustler,” which led to her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 1961.
RIP Piper Laurie, 1932-2023 pic.twitter.com/pYJGrUPwdB
— Old Hollywood (@TheOldHollywood) October 14, 2023
Subsequently, she took a break from the industry to start a family with her husband, writer Joseph Morgenstern, who later became a film critic. By the mid-’70s, she was ready to make her comeback, appearing in a Broadway revival of “The Glass Menagerie” and an episode of PBS’ “Nova” science series, where she portrayed family planning pioneer Margaret Sanger.
Laurie joined Brian De Palma’s “Carrie” almost on a whim, but her tongue-in-cheek yet terrifying performance in the horror film earned her a second Oscar nomination, this time in the supporting category. She continued to grace the big screen with roles in films such as “Tim,” “Ruby,” “The Boss’s Son,” and “Return to Oz,” along with steady work on television in TV movies like “In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan,” “Rainbow,” “The Bunker,” “The Thorn Birds,” and “Promise.”
In the late ’80s and ’90s, she appeared in films like “Appointment With Death,” “Other People’s Money,” “Wrestling Ernest Hemingway,” “Storyville,” “Rich in Love,” and “The Crossing Guard.” Piper Laurie reunited with her “Carrie” co-star Sissy Spacek in the well-received period dramedy “The Grass Harp” and also appeared in the 2001 telepic “Midwives.”
Throughout the ’90s and 2000s, she made guest appearances on various TV series, including “ER,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Will and Grace,” and “Law and Order: SVU.” She maintained a steady presence in a series of television movies.
Her final film roles included “Eulogy” (2004), where she stood out as the matriarch of a dysfunctional family, “The Dead Girl,” in which she played another cruel mother, and “Hounddog,” where she portrayed the stern grandmother of rape victim Dakota Fanning. She also delivered a memorable performance in “Hesher,” sharing the screen with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Born as Rosetta Jacobs in Detroit on January 22, 1932, she was plucked out of Los Angeles High School at the age of 17 and signed a contract with Universal for $250 a week, which eventually rose to $1,750 a week after seven years.
Laurie’s debut came as Ronald Reagan’s daughter in the 1950 film “Louisa,” followed by a series of undistinguished comedies and musicals, including her involvement in the “Francis the Talking Mule” series with a film titled “Francis Goes to the Races.” During her early career, she served as the love interest for emerging stars like Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson, as well as established figures such as Tyrone Power and Victor Mature.
While she admitted to disliking some of her early work, Piper Laurie acknowledged that it helped her grow as an actress and progress to more fulfilling projects.
After her divorce from Joseph Morgenstern in 1981, she is survived by her daughter, Anne Grace. Piper Laurie leaves behind a legacy of outstanding performances that have left an indelible mark on the world of cinema and television.