‘Sixteen Candles’ star Carole Cook, a Lucille Ball protégé, died on Wednesday at the golden age of 98.
Cook died of heart failure three days before her 99th birthday in Beverly Hills, California, her husband, actor Tom Troupe said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her agent, Robert Malcolm, also confirmed the actress’ death to CNN.
Cook, originally from Abilene, Texas, was moved to Los Angeles at the request of Ball, who met with her and eventually helped develop her stage identity. The co-stars worked together on The Lucy Show from 1963 to 1968, as well as the spinoff Here’s Lucy from 1969 to 1974, and were close friends until Ball’s death in 1989.
Cook’s theatre credits include Maggie Jones in the Tony Award-winning musical 42nd Street and Blanche Dailey in the Broadway production Romantic Comedy.
In addition to Sixteen Candles, she will be remembered as Don Knotts’ wife Bessie Limpet in 1964’s The Incredible Mr. Limpet, as well as a slew of other films like American Gigolo, Palm Springs Weekend, The Gauntlet, Grandview, U.S.A., Summer Lovers, and A Very Sordid Wedding.
Cook has made her impact on television, appearing in the long-running series Grey’s Anatomy, among others.
The actress, whom Ball praised for having a “healthy disregard for all things in general,” made headlines in 2018 when she informed TMZ in no uncertain terms about her feelings against then-President Donald Trump.
“Where’s John Wilkes Booth when you need him?” she said when asked about an incident involving a Trump flag unfurled during a Los Angeles theatre performance.
Manan works on Landscape Insight as a content writer. He reports the latest news and gossips about celebrities in the entertainment industry. Furthermore, his interests lie majorly in travel photography and adventurous activities.
