Last month, right in the middle of October, the horror genre lost one of its most incredible—and incredibly unsung—actresses: Samantha Eggar who passed away at the age of eighty-six.
Eggar isn’t necessarily as synonymous with the genre as Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis, or Neve Campbell, but she’s an indelible part of horror nonetheless.
For over half a century, she was an icon for a more cerebral kind of horror fan, playing strange and complicated women who might make you more than a little uncomfortable.
Samantha Eggar in "The Collector"
Photo Credit: Columbia PicturesSo let’s start at the beginning, shall we? In 1965, Samantha Eggar burst onto the horror scene playing the part that would arguably become her signature role, at least to mainstream film fans: Miranda Grey in William Wyler’s The Collector.
Based on John Fowles’s book, The Collector follows Freddie (played by a chilling Terence Stamp) who becomes obsessed with the erudite Miranda, eventually kidnapping and imprisoning her in his remote basement lair with the sole intention of forcing her to fall in love with him.
Eggar gives such a tour-de-force performance in the film that she ultimately went on to earn a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama as well as her only Oscar nomination.
What happens to Miranda in The Collector remains one of the most terrifying depictions of non-supernatural horror in cinematic history. It’s a woman’s worst nightmare incarnate.
Every time I’m in a parking lot and I have to pass a van or truck, I remember the alleyway scene in The Collector when Freddie corners an unsuspecting Miranda and ultimately chloroforms and kidnaps her.
And to be honest, I usually take the long way around the lot just to be sure I get home in one piece.
Eggar’s role as Miranda is haunting enough all on its own to earn her place in the genre pantheon. But when it comes to downright unforgettable horror performances, you absolutely cannot top Eggar’s turn as Nola Carveth in The Brood.
Directed by David Cronenberg, this 1979 classic follows befuddled architect Frank Carveth (Art Hindle) in his bitter custody dispute with his estranged wife Nola over their withdrawn daughter Candice.
The big problem? Nola is currently in treatment at an experimental wellness facility founded by cultish New Age leader Hal Raglan (played by a magnificent Oliver Reed).
Samantha Eggar in "The Brood"
Photo Credit: Elgin International ProductionsWhile Reed is apt to steal the show in virtually all his films, Eggar remains an absolute revelation as Nola. As Raglan puts her through increasingly bizarre therapy sessions, there’s a childlike innocence to Nola, but there’s also a deep-seated rage that bubbles up and ultimately births the eponymous creatures.
This is body horror to the max, but it also proves just how well horror can reflect deeper seated trauma in ways that no other genre truly can.
While Cronenberg has produced some fantastic films in the ensuing fifty years, I still consider The Brood to be his masterpiece. Once you see this film, you’re unlikely to ever forget it.
Samantha Eggar in "The Uncanny"
Photo Credit: The Rank OrganisationWhile The Collector and The Brood remain her most famed horror performances, Eggar certainly didn’t shy away from the genre over the years. If you’re looking for another fabulous horror film to celebrate her work, then you can’t go wrong with the creepy camp classic, The Uncanny.
Released in 1977, this British-Canadian anthology film features a cat-loving literary publisher played by Ray Milland who must listen to a trio of terror-laden tales told by a neurotic author played by Peter Cushing who is convinced that cats are trying to destroy the world.
With a setup like that, how can you say no?
In The Uncanny, Samantha Eggar appears in the final of the three segments as an actress who will stop at nothing to secure a leading role in a new movie; however, a very cunning cat has different plans in mind.
It’s a supremely offbeat little film, and one that absolutely deserves more fans, so add The Uncanny to your streaming queue as soon as possible. If nothing else, it highlights Eggar’s range as both a scream queen and a screwball comedienne.
Samantha Eggar in "Curtains"
Photo Credit: Simcom LimitedBut she didn’t stop there.
Eggar had starring roles in the horror films The Dead Are Alive, Demonoid, A Name for Evil, and Curtains, and even her final big screen performance in 1999, The Astronaut’s Wife, could be classified as a sci-fi horror film.
While she continued to act in a variety of genres, Eggar reveled in the world of horror right up to the end of her career. From slashers to giallos and body horror to psychological thrillers, she did it all, and she always did it well.
So rest in peace, Samantha Eggar. You’ve shaped our horror landscape in ways that have changed the genre, and we’re all the better for it.
It’s strange to think we’re living in a world without Miranda and Nola in it, but at the very least, we can revisit those remarkable movies anytime to celebrate such a storied horror legacy.
Featured still from “The Collector” via Columbia Pictures
