Louise Fletcher, ‘Nurse Ratched’ actress, dies at 88

CNN
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Louise Fletcher won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the villainous Nurse Ratched. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” He died on Friday in France, his agent David Schall said. She is 88 years old.

Without providing further details, Schall said Fletcher died of “natural causes.” Family surrounded her at her home in Montdurausse.

Schall, who said he has worked with Fletcher for the past few decades, says he lives in a converted 300-year-old farmhouse there and has a residence in Los Angeles.

“France was her favorite place on the planet; she built a house in a beautiful place she loved,” he said. “She’s a great woman – what a career.”

Fletcher’s Oscar came after a long break from acting to raise her children for her second film.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” stars Jack Nicholson as a new patient at a mental institution where Mildred Ratchet – played by Fletcher – rules as a dictatorial, controlling nurse.

In her Oscar speech, Fletcher sweetly thanked her “Cuckoo’s Nest” co-stars, then acknowledged her deaf parents watching at home, using sign language.

“I want to thank you for teaching me to dream. You see my dream come true,” she told them.

The film won the first five Oscars of 1975 – best picture, director Milos Forman, adapted screenplay, actor Nicholson and actress Fletcher.

Behind the likes of Hannibal Lecter and the Wicked Witch of the West, his character was considered one of the greatest villains in film history in a list compiled by the American Film Institute.

In 2020, Fletcher’s character inspired a spinoff, the Ryan Murphy TV series “Ratched”.

Fletcher also went on to star in the series “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and played Helen Rosemond in the 1999 film “Cruel Intentions.” Most recently, she appeared in the Netflix comedy series “Girl Boss” and “Shameless.”

Fletcher is survived by his two sons, John and Andrew Pick; his sister, Roberta Ray; and a granddaughter. Fletcher married Jerry Pick in 1959, and the two divorced in 1977.