Samantha Iger dies: ‘Doctor Doolittle’ ‘Brood’ star was 86

British actress Samantha Iger, the Oscar-nominated star of films including “The Collector,” “Doctor Dolittle” and David Cronenberg’s “The Brood,” has died. She was 86 years old.

Iger died Wednesday evening, her daughter Jenna Stern announced Friday on Instagram. Stern said his mother died “peacefully and quietly surrounded by family” and recalled the actor “telling her how much he loved her.” The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Stern described her mother, who was also an accomplished television actress, as “beautiful, intelligent, and tough enough to be incredibly vulnerable.”

Iger pursued a film career that spanned the 1960s through the 1990s and became best known for her work in The Collector, directed by William Wyler. The psychological horror film, based on the John Fowles novel of the same name, features Iger as a young art student who is kidnapped by a teenager portrayed by Terence Stamp. For the thriller, Iger collected a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award and a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.

After the film’s release, Iger landed numerous roles, most notably in the 1967 remake of “Doctor Dootle” opposite Rex Harrison, “Walk, Don’t Run” with Cary Grant, “Molly Maguire” and “The Walking Stick.”

One of Iger’s most memorable roles was in Cronenberg’s The Brood, released in 1979. She starred as Nola Carwitt, a psychopath who receives psychiatric treatment during a series of mysterious murders. The film also starred Oliver Reed and Art Handel.

During her film career, Iger also appeared in several television series, including “Anna and the King” (opposite “The King and I” star Yul Brynner), “Starsky and Hutch”, “The Love Boat” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. Her most notable television roles included a voice-over role in the animated series The Legend of Prince Valiant, which ran for two seasons, and a role as Charlotte Dewan in the daytime drama All My Children.

The actor also lent his voice to Hera in Disney’s “Hercules,” then reprized the role in the animated classic’s spin-off video game and television series.

Iger was born on March 5, 1939 in Hampstead, London. Her father was a brigadier in the British Army and her mother served as an ambulance driver during World War II. She studied at the Tenet School of Art and Fashion and pursued acting at the Weber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, according to a statement shared by her daughter. Later in life, Egger returned to the stage, performing “The Lonely Road” at the Old Vic and “The Seagull” at the Oxford Playhouse and Theater Royal, Bath.

She also brought her talents to radio, lending her voice to more than 40 productions for the California Artists Radio Theater. Egger was an animal enthusiast and supporter of many environmental and health causes.

“Samantha Iger will be remembered not only for her unforgettable performances but also for her generosity, wit and love of life,” the statement said.

Egger is survived by his children Nicholas and Jenna, grandchildren Isabelle, Charlie and Calla. and sisters Margaret Barron, Toni Maricek, and Vivian Thursby.