Tanya Roberts, known for playing Stacey Sutton in the 1985 James Bond film “A View to a Kill” and Midge Pinciotti on “That ’70s Show” between 1998 and 2004, died Monday night after it was prematurely reported by many outlets that she had died on Sunday night. She was 65.
On Tuesday, Roberts’ publicist, Mike Pingel, confirmed to Variety that she died Monday night at 9:30 p.m. PT due to a urinary tract infection that spread to her kidney, gallbladder, liver and blood stream. However, Pingel mistakenly told many publications that Roberts had died on Sunday night after her partner, Lance O’Brien, visited her in the hospital and presumed she was no longer living. She remained hospitalized in “dire” condition Monday, Pingel told Variety earlier that day.Roberts was out walking her dogs on Christmas Eve when she collapsed.
Born Victoria Leigh Blum, Roberts had a successful modeling career and appeared in some off-Broadway roles. She made her film debut in 1975 with “The Last Victim.” Thereafter, she appeared in a series of films that attained cult status, including “The Beastmaster” (1982), “Sheena: Queen of the Jungle” (1984), “Body Slam” (1987) and “Night Eyes” (1990). She also played Julie Rogers in the “Charlie’s Angels” TV series.On “That ’70s Show,” Roberts played the laidback hippie mother of Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon). While she left the show in 2001, she returned in 2004.Roberts’ final on-screen appearance was in the television series “Barbershop” in 2005.
Britt Ekland, who played a Bond girl in “The Man With The Golden Gun” (1974), tweeted: “Rip Tanya Roberts, once a Bond Girl always a Bond Girl!”“The Beastmaster” director Don Coscarelli tweeted: “I just heard the sad news that actress Tanya Roberts passed away. Tanya was a beautiful person, inside and out. I will always remember Tanya for being incredibly sweet and for her genuine love of animals. She was beloved by ‘Beastmaster’ fans everywhere. RIP.”An online memorial for Roberts will be announced soon, and donations can be given in her name to the ASPCA.
