Anne Heche, TV, film and stage actor, dies at 53 from injuries in L.A. car crash

INA-  SOURCES

Anne Heche, the Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor whose work in “Six Days Seven Nights,” “Another World” and dozens of other projects dovetailed with a groundbreaking romance with Ellen DeGeneres that challenged homophobia in Hollywood, has died. She was 53.

Her eldest son, Homer Laffoon, confirmed her death in a statement to The Times on Friday.

“My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom. After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness,” he wrote. “Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.

“Over those six days, thousands of friends, family, and fans made their hearts known to me. I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my stepmom Alexi who continue to be my rock during this time. Rest In Peace Mom, I love you, Homer.”

Heche was on life support after crashing her car into a Mar Vista home, which then caught on fire. After the Aug. 5 crash, Heche was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in critical condition. She was declared brain dead Thursday night. As of Friday, Heche was legally dead, but her heart was still beating and her body was kept on life support to preserve viable organs for possible donation.

She suffered significant burns in the crash. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that a blood test showed Heche was under the influence of narcotics at the time, and another law enforcement source told The Times that Heche’s initial blood test showed cocaine in her system.

Before Heche died, the LAPD was planning to administer a second blood test to rule out hospital treatments as the reason for narcotics showing up in her initial screen. Shortly after the crash, Heche fell into a coma with a major injury that required her to be put on mechanical ventilation, her spokesperson said.

By Thursday night, it was clear that Heche would not survive. A statement on behalf of her family and friends said the actor had suffered “a severe anoxic brain injury” and would be kept on life support to determine whether any of her organs were viable for donation, as had long been her wish.

“Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit,” the statement said. “More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work — especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love. She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”

Heche’s ex-husband, Coleman “Coley” Laffoon, said in a video that she “was brave and fearless and loved really hard.”

“Goodbye, Anne. Love you, thank you,” he added. “Thank you for all the good times. There were so many, and see you on the other side.”
Rosanna Arquette, Alec Baldwin, James Gunn and James Tupper were among the Hollywood figures mourning Heche on social media Friday.

Throughout her decades-long career, Heche delivered nearly 100 performances on TV, stage and film. In the late 1980s, she got her big break with a dual role on the long-running NBC soap opera “Another World.” By 1991, she won a Daytime Emmy for her acclaimed work as Vicky Hudson and Marley Love on the show.

After rising to prominence on the daytime TV circuit, Heche made the leap to the big screen, where she starred in high-profile films including “Donnie Brasco” (1997), “Volcano” (1997), “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997), “Six Days Seven Nights” (1998), “Return to Paradise” (1998) and “John Q” (2002).

Her professional life took a turn, however, when she began publicly dating DeGeneres, who had just come out as gay on her hit sitcom and in real life. Both performers endured major career setbacks as a result of being open about their sexuality at a time when that was much less accepted.

In a 1998 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Heche accused Fox of refusing to hire her after she and DeGeneres made their relationship official around the time the studio’s “Volcano” debuted — and tanked — at the box office.

“They still have this bitterness about the timing of my falling in love with Ellen and the opening of ‘Volcano,’” Heche told The Times.

“I have my own opinions about why that movie didn’t do well, as anybody with half a brain would, but they want to blame it on somebody. I won’t say doors are shut for me. I know there are studios that will hire me (laughing).”

On Friday, DeGeneres expressed support for her former partner.
“This is a sad day,” DeGeneres tweeted. “I’m


Heche was born May 25, 1969, in Aurora, Ohio. During her childhood, Heche and her family moved often when her father, a choir director, pursued different gigs. At 12 years old, she worked with her mother at a dinner theater in Swainton, N.J., then eventually moved with her family to Chicago.

In the Windy City came her big break. A talent scout invited a 16-year-old Heche to audition for CBS’ “As the World Turns.” However, before she could take on that daytime drama, her mother insisted that she finish her high school education. After graduating in 1987, Heche debuted as Vicky Hudson and Marley Love in NBC’s “Another World.”

“I think everything in my childhood led me to being an actress,” she told Larry King in 2001. “I not only wanted to leave the planet, I wanted to be anything other than who I was. And so did my family.”



SOURCE: LOS ANGELES TIMES