An actress who one starred alongside Clint Eastwood as sadly passed away after a long career on stage, in film and on television as fans gather online to share their condolences
Aleta Mitchell has passed away at the age of 74 after a successful career spanning stage, film and television. Her family announced that she died on April 14 in hospice care in Branford, Connecticut.
Mitchell is most remembered for her iconic roles in the 1988 horror film The Serpent and the Rainbow, directed by Wes Craven. In the film, she played Celestine Durand in a memorable dream sequence where her character is dressed in a white bridal gown and appears as a corpse. The scene is famous for the moment when a large snake emerges from her open mouth to attack Bill Pullman’s character.
Her film credits also include appearances in Milos Forman’s Valmont (1989), Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992), and Clint Eastwood’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997).
Tributes have flooded in online for the actress as fans paid their respects following the news. One person wrote: “RIP,” while another penned: “A sad loss, her work will be remembered in film history.” A third added: “Heartbreaking news [tear emoji], reports the Express.
Born on February 12, 1952, in Chicago Illinois, Mitchell was raised in the Hyde Park neighbourhood on the South Side. She began her acting career in touring stage productions throughout the Midwest during her high school years.
Mitchell earned a bachelor’s degree in Acting from the University of Iowa in 1981, followed by a master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama.
She began her professional acting career with a role in the 1984 original Broadway production of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
The acclaimed actress also graced television screens in shows such as The Cosby Show, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Equalizer and The Jury.
Her husband Thomas, to whom she was married for 41 years, son Andrew and mother Geraldine survive her.
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