Christine White was an American actress who appeared in over 50 television shows and movies, most notably in the classic Twilight Zone episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” alongside William Shatner. She died on April 14, 2013, at the age of 86, but what was her cause of death?
Early Life and Career
Christine White was born on May 4, 1926, in Washington, DC, to Lucia and James White. She had one sibling, a brother named James Jr. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in English and acted in stage productions. She then earned a master’s degree in speech and drama from Catholic University in Washington, DC. She also studied at the Actors Studio in New York City, where she met James Dean and had a brief romantic relationship with him.
White moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s and began appearing in various television shows, such as Perry Mason, The Loretta Young Show, Bonanza, The Rifleman, The Untouchables, Father Knows Best, and The Fugitive. She also starred in the horror film Macabre (1958), directed by William Castle. She was known for her versatility and professionalism as an actress.
In 1961, she played Kitty in the Twilight Zone episode “Prime Mover”, and later that year, she became a regular cast member of the sitcom Ichabod and Me, which lasted for one season. In 1963, she returned to the Twilight Zone in the episode that made her famous, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”. She portrayed Julia Wilson, the wife of a nervous airplane passenger (Shatner) who sees a gremlin on the wing of the plane. The episode is considered one of the best and most terrifying of the series.
Later Years and Death
White left acting in the late 1970s and moved back to Washington, DC, to care for her aging mother. She also wrote, produced, and distributed a quarterly bulletin called “The Rampart Papers”, which focused on political and social issues. She was an active member of the Evangelical Christian community and supported various charities and causes.
White died on April 14, 2013, at a nursing home in Washington, DC. According to her death notice, she passed away peacefully in her sleep. Her cause of death was not publicly disclosed, but according to her death certificate, which was obtained by People magazine, she died of an ischemic stroke, with a secondary cause of death listed as cancer. She had been diagnosed with metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin, meaning cancer that did not have a known source or tumor.
White was survived by several nieces and nephews, as well as many friends and fans. She was remembered as a talented and gracious actress who left a lasting impression on the screen and in the hearts of those who knew her.
