American actress Denise Nickerson, who starred in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory as Violet Beuregard, has died.
The 62-year-old was placed on life support after being hospitalised this week due to pneumonia, and subsequently suffered a seizure.
The actress was visited by her family and friends, so they were able to say their final goodbyes, before her family took her off life support.
According to TMZ, Nickerson suffered a stroke last year and was being looked after by her only son.
She was recently diagnosed with pneumonia and on Tuesday suffered a seizure and was later put on life support.
Actress Denise Nickerson has died, aged 62.
(Source: Getty Images)
Denise as Violet Beauregard.
(Source: Paramount Pictures)Denise’s son Joshua and his wife Jasmine have started a GoFundMe page to raise money for their mother’s funeral.
The page was set up to “honour Denise’s last wishes of being cremated, and her ashes turned into glass artwork.”
Before starring in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in 1971, Denise had roles t in Flipper (1965) and Dark Shadows (1968).
She then had a slew of other roles in shows like The Electric Company and The Brady Bunch, before giving up acting in 1978 to work in a doctor’s office.
WATCH NEXT: Gene Wilder singing “Pure Imagination” in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). Story continues after video.
But it was her role in Willy Wonka that made her a household name.
In an interview shortly after lead actor Gene Wilder’s death in 2016, she spoke highly of the iconic star and her time on set.
“He was such a kind, tenderhearted man. And for him to put up with us, my God what patience he must’ve needed for five of us running around,” she said.
Denise is survived by her son Joshua and his wife Jasmine.
