Kim Hunter was a versatile and acclaimed actress who won an Oscar for her role as Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). She also starred in three Planet of the Apes movies as the sympathetic chimpanzee scientist Dr. Zira. But how did she die and what was her cause of death?
Heart Attack at 79
Kim Hunter died of a heart attack on September 11, 2002, at the age of 79. She was in her apartment above the Cherry Lane Theater in the West Village, New York City, when she suffered a cardiac arrest. Her daughter, Kathryn Emmett, confirmed her death to the media. According to Emmett, Hunter had been in declining health and had recently been hospitalized for a fall
A Long and Distinguished Career
Hunter was born Janet Cole on November 12, 1922, in Detroit, Michigan. She was the daughter of Grace Lind, a concert pianist, and Donald Cole, a refrigeration engineer. She developed an interest in acting at an early age and studied at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Actors Studio. She made her Broadway debut in 1943 and her film debut in 1946
She achieved fame and recognition for her performance as Stella Kowalski, the loyal and loving wife of the brutish Stanley Kowalski (played by Marlon Brando) in the stage and film versions of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. She won the Critics Circle and Donaldson awards for the play and the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for the film. She was praised for her natural and nuanced portrayal of the complex character
However, her film career was hampered by the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s, as she was accused of being a communist sympathizer by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). She was unable to work in films and television for five years until she cleared her name. She later said that the blacklist was “a very sad time in my life and a lot of other people’s lives.”
She continued to work in theater and television, appearing in many plays and shows, such as Rod Serling’s Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956), The Comedian (1957), Bonanza (1968), and The Edge of Night (1979-1980), for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. She also returned to films, most notably as Dr. Zira, the compassionate and intelligent chimpanzee who befriends the human astronaut Taylor (played by Charlton Heston) in Planet of the Apes (1968) and its two sequels. She said that playing Zira was “one of the most challenging, enjoyable, funniest, and rewarding roles of my career.”
She was married twice, first to William Baldwin, a Marine Corps pilot, from 1944 to 1946, and then to Robert Emmett, a public relations executive, from 1951 until his death in 2000. She had two children, Sean and Kathryn, and four grandchildren. She was also active in various causes, such as animal rights, environmental protection, and civil liberties. She was a member of the Actors’ Equity Association, the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
A Legacy of Talent and Humanity
Kim Hunter was a talented and versatile actress who left a lasting impression on audiences and critics alike. She was admired for her ability to play a wide range of roles, from the vulnerable and passionate Stella to the witty and wise Zira. She was also respected for her integrity and courage in facing the challenges of the blacklist and the discrimination against women in Hollywood. She was a humanitarian who cared deeply about the world and its inhabitants. She once said, “I have always been interested in people and animals and the environment. I think we are all connected and we have to help each other.”
Kim Hunter’s cause of death was a heart attack, but her legacy lives on in her films, plays, and television shows, as well as in the hearts and minds of her fans and admirers. She was a remarkable woman who enriched the world with her art and her humanity.
