Cara Williams, actress from Hollywood's Golden Age, dies at 96, reports say
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Cara Williams, an Oscar and Emmy nominee and one of the few remaining actresses from Hollywood's Golden Age, has died, according to reports. She was 96.
Williams died Thursday of a heart attack at her home in Beverly Hills, her daughter, Justine Jagoda, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
"Not only was she a sparkling actress with impeccable comedic timing, she was also funny, over-the-top, warm-hearted and loving," Jagoda told Variety. "She could make anyone laugh and smile if they had a bad day. She was everything that you could wish for in a mother and more. It’s a sad loss to lose a woman from this incredible era."
USA TODAY has reached out to Williams' family for further comment.
Her role as Billy's (Kevin Coughlin) mother in Stanley Kramer's 1958 Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier drama "The Defiant Ones" earned her a nomination for best supporting actress at the Academy Awards. A few years later, she also received a nomination at the 1962 Emmy Awards for lead actress in a series for her role on CBS's comedy "Pete and Gladys," in which she starred opposite "M*A*S*H" star Harry Morgan.
Following the cancellation of "Pete and Gladys," Williams starred on the short-lived "The Cara Williams Show," in which she played one half of a married couple who work in the same office and must hide their marriage status from their employer.
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Other credits include the 1956 film "Meet Me In Las Vegas," 1947 film "Boomerang," 1959 film "Never Steal Anything Small" and 1963 film "The Man from the Diners' Club." Her most recent acting credit, according to IMDb, was the 1982 TV comedy film "In Security."
Williams was previously married to actor John Drew Barrymore – the son of actor John Barrymore and father of actress Drew Barrymore – from 1952 to 1959. They share a son, actor John Blythe Barrymore.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cara Williams, 'Defiant Ones' actress, dies at 96: reports
