Piper Laurie (January 22, 1932 – October 14, 2023)

Piper Laurie in 1950

Piper Laurie was an American actress who had a long and successful career in film, television, and theater. She is best known for her roles in the films The Hustler (1961), Carrie (1976), and Children of a Lesser God (1986), for which she received three Academy Award nominations. Laurie was born Rosetta Jacobs in Detroit, Michigan, on January 22, 1932. She began her acting career at a young age, appearing in radio and television commercials. In 1949, she signed a contract with Universal Studios and made her film debut in the 1950 film Louisa. Laurie quickly became one of Universal's most popular stars, appearing in a string of films in the early 1950s, including Francis Goes to West Point (1952), Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952), and Son of Ali Baba (1952). She also starred in several films with Rock Hudson, including Prince Valiant (1954) and Tea and Sympathy (1956). Laurie was frustrated with the typecasting she received at Universal, and she left the studio in 1957. She moved to New York City to focus on her stage career. She appeared in several Broadway productions, including A Loss of Roses (1959) and Sweet Bird of Youth (1960). In 1961, Laurie returned to film with a starring role in The Hustler, opposite Paul Newman. She played Sarah Packard, a lonely woman who begins a relationship with Newman's character, a pool hustler. Laurie's performance was critically acclaimed, and she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

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