Oscar nominated actor Shirley Knight passes away at 83

Shirley Knight the prolific screen and stage actress whose career spanned over six decades has passed away at the age of 83. According to her daughter Kaitlin Hopkins, the actress died of natural causes.

The actress had a career spanning various projects like Desperate Housewives, Paul Blart: Mall Cop and its sequel, Sweet Bird of Youth and others.

Knight’s film and TV credits included As Good As It Gets, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, House, Law and Order and many more.

Born in Kansas in 1936, Knight was known for taking daring chances as an actress, both in the roles she took and in her career choices.

The actress received two Oscar nominations for 1960’s The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and 1962’s Sweet Bird of Youth.

In 1964, she left Hollywood to study at New York’s prestigious Actors Studio where she earned acclaim for her stage work, winning a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 1976 for Kennedy’s Children.