Actress Carole Cook dies aged 98
Actress Carole Cook has passed away at the age of 98.
Cook's actor husband Tom Troupe announced on Wednesday that the Sixteen Candles star had died of heart failure in Beverly Hills, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She died three days before her 99th birthday.
Cook had a long and illustrious career in Hollywood and was a close friend and protégé of Hollywood legend Lucille Ball.
Her association with Ball led to numerous appearances on The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy.
In total, the Texas-born star worked on 18 episodes of The Lucy Show from 1963 to 1968, playing the character of Lucy Carmichael's friend, Thelma Green. She went on to star alongside Ball on five episodes of Here's Lucy from 1969 to 1974.
Cook's other notable screen roles included her performance as Helen, the touchy-feely grandmother of Molly Ringwald's character, in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles, and appearances in TV shows such as Maude, Kojak, Dynasty and Cagney & Lacey.
In theatre, she appeared in the original Broadway productions of 42nd Street and Romantic Comedy and led the cast of Hello, Dolly! in Australia.
In 2002, Cook and Troupe made history as the first husband-wife duo to receive the Theatre Ovation Award for career achievement. Following Cook's passing, her family requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Entertainment Community Fund.
The organisation aims to provide financial support and a safety net for those working in the performing arts and entertainment industry.
