Karen Black, the prolific actress best known for her iconic roles in
Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces,
and
Nashville,
has died, the Associated Press
reports
. Black was 74, and had been suffering from cancer. She is survived by her husband, Stephen Eckleberry, who had been chronicling her battle with cancer
on a blog.
Black appeared in more than 100 films throughout her career that spanned more than four decades, often portraying troubled, complex women. She played an openly transgender woman in 1982's screen adaptation of
Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
, where she portrayed the post-operative trans woman portrayed pre-transition by openly gay actor
Mark Patton
. Black appeared opposite Cher, Kathy Bates, and out actress Sandy Dennis in
Five and Dime.
Watch a fan-created trailer for
Five and Dime
heavily featuring Black's character below.
