Piper Laurie, ‘Carrie,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ actress, dead at 91

Piper Laurie, a three-time Academy Award nominee known for her performances in “The Hustler” and “Carrie” on film and in “Twin Peaks” on television, died Saturday. She was 91.

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Laurie died in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her manager, Marion Rosenberg, confirmed the actress’ death in a written statement, Variety reported.

“A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time,” Rosenberg wrote.

Laurie had not been well for some time, Rosenberg, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Laurie earned her first Oscar nomination opposite Paul Newman in the 1961 film, “The Hustler,” Variety reported.

Her second nomination came as Sissy Spacek’s fanatically religious mother in the 1976 film “Carrie” and notched a third nomination playing Marlee Matlin’s mother in the 1986 film, “Children of a Lesser God,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Laurie was nominated for nine Emmy Awards during her career on television. Two of them came as the scheming, power-hungry Catherine Martell in “Twin Peaks,” Variety reported.

The Martell character presumably died in a fire during the first season of the television show, but series co-creator David Lynch called Laurie and said he wanted her to return for “Twin Peaks’” second season disguised as a man, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“‘What kind of man is going to be up to you,’” Piper said that Lynch told her. “‘You could be a Mexican, a Frenchman, whatever you think.’ I was beside myself with the power to be able to pick my part like that. I decided I would be a Japanese businessman (Mr. Tojamura) because I thought it would be less predictable.”

Piper would win a Golden Globe in 1991, Entertainment Weekly reported.

The actress won her only Emmy for her role in the 1986 “Hallmark Hall of Fame” movie “Promises,” according to Variety.

Born Rosetta Jacobs in Detroit on Jan. 22, 1932, Laurie signed with Universal Studios as a 17-year-old in 1949, Variety reported. She made her film debut the following year as Ronald Reagan’s daughter in “Louisa,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

During the 1950s she appeared in “Francis Goes to the Races” (1951), “Has Anybody Seen My Gal” (1952) “No Room for the Groom” (1952), “The Mississippi Gambler” (1953) and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1955), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

After “Twin Peaks,” Laurie had appearances on television on “Frasier,” “Will and Grace,” “ER,” “Touched By an Angel” and “MacGyver,” Entertainment Weekly reported.

Her final screen appearance came in the 2018 film, “White Boy Rick,” according to the entertainment news website.

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