Blonde Hollywood beauty Yvette Mimieux – who was a movie staple in the 1960s and 1970s for playing the wide-eyed ingénue – has died at the age of 80.
Michelle Bega, the family publicist for Michelle Bega told People that she had learned Tuesday that Los Angeles’ native was pronounced dead peacefully after a night of natural causes.
The role of the lead actress was in numerous hit films, such as The Time Machine (The Black Hole), The Light In The Piazza and The Time Machine (1976).
Big loss for Tinseltown: Blonde Hollywood beauty Yvette Mimieux – who was a movie staple in the 1960s and 1970s for playing the wide-eyed ingénue – has died at the age of 80. Michelle Bega, the family publicist for Mimieux shared her news with People on Tuesday. She died peacefully in her sleep from natural causes.
Additionally, she received many Golden Globe nominations. Her first came in 1960. She was the Most Promising Newcomer Female for her work at Platinum High School.
The movie star also enjoyed a highly publicized personal life. She was married to Stanley Donen (Hollywood director), who was responsible for the films Charade and Singin’ Under The Rain. From 1972 to 1985, they were married.
In the 1950s, this looker with a beautiful figure and long flaxen locks and big blue eyes started her career.
Newcomer in 1961: The looker who had a model figure and long flaxen hair with big blue eyes and a charming smile started her career in the late 1950s
The 1960 film The Time Machine was her first big role. The movie, a science-fiction sci-fi film, was based on HG Wells’ novel. The story of an inventor living in Victorian England and building a machine to allow him travel far into the future.
Rod Taylor and Alan Young were also part of the project.
That same year she lit up the comedy film Where The Boys Are. She played college student Melanie who travels with her pretty female friends Angie (Connie Francis), Tuggle (Paula Prentiss) and Merritt (Dolores Hart) to Florida to have fun during their spring break.
Big hit: Her first hit part was as Weena in the 1960 movie The Time Machine, a science fiction film based on the HG Wells novel
A favorite: The film is about an inventor in Victorian England who constructs a machine that enables him to travel into the distant future
College fun: She also appeared in the comedy Where The Boys Are that year. As Melanie, she played the role of a college student. She travels to Florida with her beautiful female friends Angie and Tuggle (Paula Prentiss), Merritt (Dolores Hart), to enjoy spring break.
The women are looking for love, and they flirt with many men. But the journey is filled with complications when they meet cads.
Next came the drama Light In The Piazza in 1962 which took a more serious tone as she played a mentally challenged young woman whose mother (Olivia de Havilland) does not know what to do with her when she falls for a wealthy Italian man Fabrizio Naccarelli (George Hamilton) during their trip to Florence.
She stated that she believed her work had a “soulful” quality. She often played the role of a “sensitive”, wounded person.
1964, Yvette starred on the TV series Dr Kildare. This earned her her second Golden Globe nomination.
A triumph: Next came the drama Light In The Piazza in 1962 which took a more serious tone as she played a mentally challenged young woman whose mother (Olivia de Havilland – seen left) does not know what to do with her
It’s simple and sweet. Her mother becomes upset after she marries Fabrizio Nacccarelli, a rich Italian man (George Hamilton – seen left), during their Florence trip.
She also enjoyed a successful career in the 1970s.
In 1970’s The Most Deadly Game, she landed the part of Vanessa Smith. The part got her a third Globe nomination.
And she stood out for her work in the 1973 film The Neptune Factor where she shared the screen with Ben Gazzara, Walter Pidgeon and Ernest Borgnine.
She became a screenwriter after that film and the script she wrote for Hit Lady was made into a movie in 1974. Obsessive Love would be her next novel, which she wrote ten years later.
She got props for this: She landed the role as Vanessa Smith in the 1970 movie The Most Deadly Game. She was nominated for a third Globe award because of this role.
It was a lot of fun for her: In 1967, she was seen wearing slacks and Gucci shoes.
Mimieux also made The Black Hole, a 1979 movie that was a huge success. She starred as scientist Kate McCrae in the Disney science fiction movie with Anthony Perkins and Maximilian Schell.
She retired in 1992 from Hollywood so she could travel the world and pursue other career opportunities.
She opened a business selling Haitian products and she also sold real estate, Deadline reported.
Mimieux got married to Evan Harland Engber twice in 1959, and then later split with him. In 1972, Mimieux married Donen.
Howard F. Ruby was her husband one year later.
In addition to her siblings Gloria Montemayor and Edouard Mimieux who are still living, she is survived by stepchildren Steven Ruby, Michael Ruby and Donna Hill as well.
On January 8, she turned 80.
Later in life: Howard Ruby and Yvette in 2002 at The Carousel of Hope, the world’s premiere gala benefitting childhood diabetes, hosted by Marvin and Barbara Davis at Merv Griffin’s Beverly Hilton