Best known for her Oscar-winning role as the twisted Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Louise Fletcher died on Sept. 23 at age 88, her agent, David Shaul, confirmed to the Associated Press. The actor died in her sleep surrounded by her family at her home in Montdurausse, France. No cause of death was given.
After appearing in a number of television shows in the '50s and '60s, Fletcher put her career on hold to raise her children before returning to the screen in her 40s. She landed the career-defining role of Nurse Ratched after other actors like Angela Lansbury and Anne Bancroft turned it down. "I was the last person cast," she said in a 2004 interview, per the AP. "It wasn't until we were halfway through shooting that I realized the part had been offered to other actresses who didn't want to appear so horrible on the screen."
After winning an Oscar for her performance in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Fletcher went on to star in "Exorcist II: The Heretic," "Flowers in the Attic," "Cruel Intentions," and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
