Anne Francis, the star of Forbidden Planet and Honey West has died in Santa Barbara at the age of 80.
The actress died of complications from pancreatic cancer in a retirement home, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The former child star had parts in more than 30 movies during the late 1950s and most of the 1960s. She became a cult idol when she starred opposite Leslie Nielsen in the 1956 MGM movie Forbidden Planet.
“I got that part because I was under contract to MGM and I had good legs,” Francis told Starlog magazine in a 1992 interview, according to the Times.
Francis also had roles in Bad Day at Black Rock and funny Girl. She may be best known for her role as a seductive private eye with a pet ocelot in Honey West. She won a Golden Globe and garnered an Emmy nomination for the role.
Married and divorced twice, Francis leaves behind two daughters, Jane Uemura and Maggie.
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat because symptoms are not often found till the late stages, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include smoking, hereditary disorders, chronic pancreatitis and long-term diabetes.