Credit: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1975 was a major year for actress Louise Fletcher. At the age of 41, the talented actress landed a role in a movie called One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. She played Nurse Ratched in the film. Neither she nor her costars knew it at the time, but their little movie would go on to be one of the biggest movies not only of the year but of all time. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest became a cult classic.
Everyone knows that it is one of the greatest movies ever made. This role landed Louise Fletcher her only Academy Award nomination and win. She also won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for her role as Nurse Ratched. Louise Fletcher might never be nominated for another Oscar or Golden Globe, but the talented actress would go on to accumulate an impressive resume. Fletcher died on September 23, 2022. Louise Fletcher’s net worth at the time of her death was $1 million.
Her Upbringing
Fletcher is a woman born in the south. She was born on July 22, 1934, in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. Her father was a reverend. Reverend Robert Capers Fletcher. Her mother, Estelle, raised four children with her husband. Louise was the second oldest child in the family. What’s interesting is that her own childhood is unlike many others. Both her mother and father were deaf. When they were not at the church or raising their own family, they were working with others who were deaf and/or fell into the category of hearing challenged. She learned many things growing up, such as sign language and how to communicate with those who cannot hear. Her father was a lovely man who did good work. By the time he died, he was the successful founder of more than 40 churches. Each one is designed for the deaf and hearing challenged.
Credit: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Learning to Speak
What’s amazing is that out of four children, Louise Fletcher and her three siblings were all born with perfect hearing. Their parents were both deaf, which astounds many. Learning to speak in a household where no one does speak is a challenge, so their own aunt taught the children to communicate with words while their mother and father taught them sign language. It was an interesting upbringing, but one that likely taught them all a bit more than most children learn growing up.
Louise Fletcher’s Acting Career
She knew that acting was something she was interested in. Fletcher went to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to earn a degree in drama. She graduated in 1957 when her degree, and she went right to work as an actress. Fletcher was only 24 when she landed her first role in a movie titled Lawman in 1958. She quickly landed many roles and worked with Hollywood’s most famous stars – like James Garner, for example. Fletcher quickly became a leading lady in so many ways, and her career took off.
She Took a Long Acting Break
When Louise Fletcher married her only husband, Jerry Bick, in 1960, she wanted kids. Her husband was both a producer and a literary agent who stayed busy with his career. When their kids were born, she took more than a decade off of work to raise them. They welcomed two sons during their marriage. Their names are John and Andrew. Sadly, Louis Fletcher and her husband did not find a way to make their marriage work. They were divorced in 1978. She did not remarry.
Credit: Cruel Intentions
Her Later Work
From 1963 until 1974, Louise Fletcher’s net worth did not grow. She took those years off to have her two boys and raise them. Being a mother was important to her, and she wasn’t letting her work get in the way of that. She came back to work in 1974, better than ever, though. That’s when she was cast in Cuckoo, and that’s when she earned her first and only Oscar. She worked regularly following that. Throughout the late 70s, the 80s, and the 90s, she was a regular in the movies and on television.
She didn’t work nearly as often later, but she would take roles as a guest star on primetime shows in the 2000s. She also starred in a few television movies over the years. Her later career was not nearly as impressive as her early career. Unfortunately, the money to be made in Hollywood in her day – especially for a female actress – was not as much as it is today.
She could have a substantially higher net worth if she was doing now what she did then. Sadly, the lovely actress passed in 2022. She died in France, which she called home for many years. Fletcher died on September 23, 2022, in Montdurausse, which is where her home in France was located. She is missed by many. The world mourned the death of the 88-year-old actress. Louise Fletcher’s net worth was $1 million at the time of her death, but she was living her life exactly how she wanted to. Out of the spotlight, at home, and doing what she loved.
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