Anne Francis, who broke gender barriers in Hollywood and developed a sci-fi cult following, died Sunday of complications of pancreatic cancer.
Francis played the first female detective on a weekly TV series in Honey West. The show, which placed her alongside a pet ocelot, ran for 30 episodes and nabbed her a Golden Globe. Francis herself described the role as “a tongue-in-cheek, female James Bond,” according to the Los Angeles Times. But she may best be known as Altaira from the sci-fi cult classic Forbidden Planet, released in 1956.
(See the fond farewells of 2010.)
Starting out as a child actress, Francis appeared in more than 30 films in her lifetime. She died at a retirement home with friends and family around her. (via Hollywood Reporter)