Barbara Rush, star of “It Came from Outer Space”, dies at 97

A star of the stage and screen, Rush is also known for roles in "The Young Philadelphians," "When Worlds Collide," and "Peyton Place."

Barbara Rush, who earned a Golden Globe for her role in the 1950s sci-fi classic It Came from Outer Space, has died. She was 97.

Rush's daughter, Claudia Cowan, who is also a reporter for Fox News Digital, confirmed her death in a March 31 statement to the outlet.

“My wonderful mother passed away peacefully at 5:28 this evening. I was with her this morning and know she was waiting for me to return home safely to transition,” Cowan told Fox. “It’s fitting she chose to leave on Easter as it was one of her favorite holidays and now, of course, Easter will have a deeper significance for me and my family.”

Born in Denver in 1927, Rush grew up in Santa Barbara, Calif., where she would eventually attend the University of California to study theater. She began her career on the stage, performing at several California playhouses before eventually signing a deal with Paramount Pictures. Her screen acting debut came in 1950s The Goldbergs, and her breakthrough role quickly followed.

In 1951, Rush starred in the Oscar-winning sci-fi film When Worlds Collide, as the daughter of an astronomer attempting to save humanity from a rogue star set to collide with the Earth. Two years later, she won Most Promising Newcomer at the 1954 Golden Globes for her role in another sci-fi classic: It Came from Outer Space.

She continued to appear in films with roles that ranged from high society debonair to devious villainess: this includes the Paul Newman-led legal drama The Young Philadelphians, the Rat Pack's 1964 gangster musical Robin and the 7 Hoods, and the 1967 western Hombre, to name a few.

Rush also found success on the small screen, appearing in television shows like Batman, The Bionic Woman, Maude, Streets of San Francisco, Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote. She also starred in soap operas, which included All My Children, 7th Heaven, and Flamingo Road.

Rush was married and divorced three times to actor Jeffrey Hunter, publicist Warren Cowan and sculptor Jim Gruzalski. She is survived by her two children, Claudia Cowan and Jeffrey Hunter.

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