Louise Fletcher–an Oscar winner for her iconic role as Nurse Ratched in 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest–has passed away at her home in France at age 88.
Fletcher’s passing was announced to Deadline by her family through her agent, No cause of death was specified. The actor reportedly passed away in her sleep.
Fletcher’s Nurse Ratched role has been hailed as one of the truly great villains in cinematic history. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest swept the Academy Awards in 1975, winning for Best Picture, Best Director (Milos Forman), Best Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Actress (Fletcher) and Best Screenplay.
Fletcher became only the third woman to win an Academy Award, the BAFTA Award and the Golden Globe Award for the same performance. That excellence led to the Ryan Murphy-developed Netflix series Ratched in 2020, with Sarah Paulson assuming the mantle of the sadistic nurse.
Fletcher continued her stellar career following Cuckoo’s Nest, appearing in such genre films as Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), Mama Dracula (1980), Strange Behavior (1981), Firestarter (1984), Invaders from Mars (1986), Flowers in the Attic (1987), Shadowzone (1990) and Grizzly II: Revenge (2020).
Fletcher is survived by her two sons, John and Andrew Bick.
The staff of Horror News Network extends its condolences to Fletcher’s family, friends and colleagues.
