‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ Star Louise Fletcher Dead at 88

Louise Fletcher, best known for her iconic role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has died. She was 88.

The Hollywood veteran reportedly died in her sleep while surrounded by family in France. Her son Andrew Bick confirmed the tragic news to various outlets on Friday, saying his mother died of natural causes. Though he didn’t provide additional details about his mother’s death, TMZ pointed out the actress had survived two bouts of breast cancer years before.

Fletcher began her acting career in the 1950s, appearing in numerous TV series like Maverick, The Untouchables, and Bat Masterson. However, she secured her breakout role in the mid-’70s, when she was cast as the villainous Nurse Mildred Ratched in Miloš Forman’s film adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The film, co-starring Jack Nicholson, earned Fletcher widespread acclaim and accolades, including the Best Actress at the 1976 Oscars and 1977 BAFTAs.

“I tried out for it many, many times,” she said about the Ratched role in 2016. “I didn’t realize that lots of other women were turning it down. They offered it to many movie stars who declined, luckily for me. To think, what if somebody else had said yes?”

Fletcher would go on to appear Exorcist II: The Heretic, Flowers in the Attic, Gone Fishin’, and A Perfect Man. Her last credited on-screen role was for the Netflix series Girlboss in 2017.

She is survived by her two sons, Andrew and John Bick, and a sister, Roberta Ray. She and Jerry Bick reportedly tied the knot in 1959, but divorced just 18 years later.