Louise Fletcher Dies: Oscar-Winning ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ Actor Was 88

deadline.com:

Louise Fletcher, whose Oscar-winning performance as the sadistic Nurse Ratched in 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest gave Hollywood one of its greatest all-time villains and provided the culture with a portrait of bureaucratic evil so indelible that the character’s last name could carry a TV series 45 years later, died Friday at her home in Montdurausse, France.

She was 88.Her death was announced to Deadline by her family through agent David Shaul. Although no cause was specified, Shaul said she passed away in her sleep at the home she had built from a 300-year-old farmhouse, surrounded by family.

Earlier today, she said to her family about her beloved home, “I can’t believe I created something so meaningful to my well-being.”Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo GalleryAlthough forever linked with her most famous character, Fletcher enjoyed an acting career that spanned more than 60 years and included numerous performances in both television and on film.

She had a recurring role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the Bajoran religious leader Kai Winn Adami, and guest-starring roles on Picket Fences and Joan of Arcadia brought Emmy nominations in 1996 and 2004, respectively.Born July 22, 1934, in Birmingham, AL, to deaf parents — she used sign language in her Academy Award acceptance speech, one of Oscar’s most memorable moments (watch it below) — Fletcher began her acting career in the late 1950s on such episodic TV series as Lawman, Bat Masterson, Maverick, The Untouchables and 77 Sunset Strip.Similar roles followed at a steady clip throughout the 1960s, with appearances on Sugarfoot, Perry Mason and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.