Nina Foch, 84, a Dutch-born actress who often played cool, calculating women in films, theater and television and was a respected coach of aspiring actors and directors, died Friday at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center of complications from the blood disorder myelodysplasia, her son, Dr. Dirk De Brito, told the Los Angeles Times.
She became ill last week while teaching at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Foch had taught at the school for 40 years. In her youth, she was a concert pianist and painter before taking up acting studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
After appearing in summer theater productions and touring companies, she moved to Hollywood and signed a contract with Columbia Pictures, where she made her movie debut in 1943’s “Wagon Wheels West.” Although she never achieved star status, Foch became a distinguished supporting player, often as “the other woman” or figures of wealth and connivance. She was nominated for an Academy Award for supporting actress for “Executive Suite” in 1955.
Other film credits included “The Ten Commandments,” “Spartacus,” “Rich and Famous” and “Sliver.” Her television credits include “Murder, She Wrote,” “The Outer Limits,” “Hawaii 5-0,” “L.A. Law” and “Just Shoot Me.” The Associated Press
