Samantha Eggar

**Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar** (5 March 1939 – 15 October 2025) was a British-American actress. She was known for her role in William Wyler's thriller _The Collector_ (1965). For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award and a Cannes Film Festival Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1965. She later played Emma Fairfax in _Doctor Dolittle_ (1967).

After moving to the United States in the 1970s, she appeared in _The Molly Maguires_ (1970), _The Dead Are Alive_ (1972), _The Uncanny_ (1977) and David Cronenberg's thriller _The Brood_ (1979). Eggar also voiced Hera in Disney's _Hercules_ (1997). She also played Charlotte Devane in the soap opera _All My Children_ in 2000.

## Early life

Eggar was born in London. Her father was a British Army officer. Her mother had Portuguese and Dutch ancestors.

## Career

Eggar had theatre training, performing works of Shakespeare in companies. She began making movie appearances, including roles in _The Wild and the Willing_ (1962), _Doctor in Distress_ (1963), and _Dr. Crippen_ (1963).

As a young woman, Samantha Eggar became famous for playing the role of Miranda Grey in _The Collector_ (1965), Miranda is a student who is kidnapped by a maniac Freddie Clegg, played by Terence Stamp. Her outstanding performance won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar.

She continued her work in major films such as _Walk Don't Run_ (1966), with Cary Grant, _Doctor Dolittle_ (1967), _The Molly Maguires_ (1970), with Sean Connery, _The Light at the Edge of the World_ (1971), with Kirk Douglas and Yul Brynner, Il grande attacco (1978).

## Horror movies

Eggar had several roles in horror movies, including _A Name for Evil_ (1973), as a young woman who moves into a haunted house belonging to her husband’s grandfather, _The Uncanny_ (1977), with Ray Milland and Peter Cushing, and _The Brood_ (1979), by David Cronenberg, as Nola Carveth, a woman who suffers horrific mutations.

In 1980s, she starred in _Demonoid: Messenger of Death_ (1981), with Stuart Whitman, and _Curtains_ (1983).

## Television

Her television credits include the TV series, _Anna and the King_ (1972), with Yul Brynner, _Double Indemnity_ (1973 film), with Richard Crenna, _All the Kind Strangers_ (1974 film), with Stacy Keach, _For the Term of His Natural Life_ (1983 film), with Anthony Perkins, and _Commander in Chief_ (2005-2006).

She also appeared as a special guest star in _The Saint_, _Lucas Tanner, Baretta, Columbo, Starsky and Hutch, Hawaii 5-0, Falcon Crest, Hart to Hart, Magnum, P.I.,_ and many more series.

## Death

Eggar died on 15 October 2025 at her home in Sherman Oaks, California from chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the age of 86.

## Filmography

- _The Wild and the Willing Josie_ (1962)
- _Doctor in Distress_ (1963)
- _Dr. Crippen_ (1964)
- _Psyche 59_ (1964)
- _Return from the Ashes_ (1964)
- _The Collector_ (1965)
- _Walk Don't Run_ (1966)
- _Doctor Dolittle_ (1967)
- _The Molly Maguires_ (1970)
- _The Walking Stick_ (1970)
- _The Lady in the Car_ (1970)
- _The Light at the Edge of the World_ (1971)
- _The Dead Are Alive_ (1971)
- _A Name for Evil_ (1973)
- _The Seven-Per-Cent Solution_ (1976)
- _The Uncanny_ (1977)
- _Welcome to Blood City_ (1977)
- _Why Shoot the Teacher?_ (1977)
- _Columbo: (1977)_ (TV series)
- _The Biggest Battle_ (1978)
- _The Brood_ (1979)
- _The Exterminator_ (1980)
- _The Hot Touch (1981)_
- _Demonoid Messenger of Death (1981)_
- _Curtains_ (1983)
- _Ragin' Cajun_ (1991)
- _Dark Horse_ (1992)
- _Round Numbers_ (1992)
- _Inevitable_ (1994)
- _The Phantom_ (1996)
- _Hercules_ (1997) (voice)
- _The Astronaut's Wife_ (1999)
- _Commander in Chief_ (2005-2006) (TV series)
- _Mental_ (2009) (TV series)

## Other websites

- Official website

## Infobox (person)

- **image**: Samantha Eggar.jpg
- **caption**: Eggar in 1964
- **name**: Samantha Eggar
- **birth name**: Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar
- **birth place**: Hampstead, London, England
- **death place**: Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
- **death cause**: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- **occupation**: Actress
- **years active**: 1960–2012
- **children**: 2