Barbara Leigh-Hunt, the Olivier Award-winning British actress known for her roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy and the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice, has passed away at the age of 88.

Leigh-Hunt died peacefully on September 16 at her home in Warwickshire, England, according to a statement from her family.

A respected figure in British theater, Leigh-Hunt’s career spanned over seven decades, including performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, and on Broadway. She earned her Olivier Award in 1993 for her role as Sybil Birling in a National Theatre revival of An Inspector Calls, directed by Stephen Daldry.

For film enthusiasts, Leigh-Hunt is perhaps best remembered for her chilling performance as Brenda Blaney in Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972), where her character is brutally murdered in one of the director’s most intense and graphic scenes. This role marked a standout moment in Hitchcock’s later years of filmmaking.

She also portrayed Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, a performance that endeared her to a new generation of fans alongside Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

Leigh-Hunt’s extensive filmography includes roles in Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), Oh Heavenly Dog (1980), Billy Elliot (2000), and Vanity Fair (2004). She was equally at home on stage, performing in works such as Hamlet and King Lear with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Born on December 14, 1935, in Bath, Somerset, England, Leigh-Hunt graduated from the Bristol Old Vic theatre school and made her professional debut in 1954. She married actor Richard Pasco in 1967, and they remained together until his death in 2014.

In her memory, donations can be made to The Royal Theatrical Fund.