Oscar-nominated actress Melinda Dillon dies aged 83

02/03/2023

American actress Melinda Dillon has died at the age of 83.

The late star was best known for her role in A Christmas Story, and she also earned Oscar nominations for her appearances in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Absence of Malice.

She died on January 9, it has been confirmed, with her family sharing the sad news in an obituary.

The obituary did not provide any service details about the Los Angeles-born movie star, but asked marked Dillon’s life with a digital candle lighting.

‘Melinda Ruth Dillon, age 83, of Los Angeles, California passed away on Monday, January 9, 2023,’ the announcement read.

Friends, family and fans visiting the website were then encouraged to share their memories and send a gift.

Dillon was born in October 1939 in Arkansas, but was raised in Alabama.

Her career began as a comedian and stage actress, before her break came in 1959 when she earned a role in the movie The Cry of Jazz.

She went on to secure a role on Broadway in the 1962 production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

A real hit with fans and critics alike, the performance earned Dillon a Tony nomination for best performance by a featured actress in a play.

She went on to appear in projects such as Bound for Glory, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

As for one of her most famous roles, she played the mother of Ralphie and Randy in Bob Clark’s A Christmas Story.

She is survived by her son Richard Libertini Jr.

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