Oscar-Winning Actress Patty Duke, Star Of 'The Patty Duke Show,' Has Died
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Patty Duke, who won an Oscar as a teen for "The Miracle Worker" and maintained a long and successful career throughout her life, has died at the age of 69.
Photos: Notable Deaths | Patty Duke Through The Years
Duke's agent, Mitchell Stubbs, says the actress died early Tuesday morning of sepsis from a ruptured intestine.
"She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a mental health advocate and a cultural icon. She will be greatly missed," said Stubbs.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Queens, Duke enjoyed success in movies, television, and theater.
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, she built on her success in teenhood by playing identical cousins on a popular sitcom, "The Patty Duke Show."
The show ran for three seasons in the mid-sixties. Her breakout role was playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker on the screen and the stage.
The 16-year-old won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1962 film, making her the youngest ever Oscar winner at the time.
She continued acting throughout the next five decades, mostly in television winning three Emmys for her work.
In her autobiography, Duke revealed that she had been diagnosed with manic depression, making her the first celebrity to publicly acknowledge dealing with the disorder.
She spent much of her later years as a mental health advocate.
Her last tweet was on March 15 where she mentioned celebrating her anniversary.
Duke was married four times and leaves behind a son, actor Sean Astin.
He posted the following statement on his Facebook page Tuesday:
"I love you mom.
This morning, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, matriarch and the exquisite artist, humanitarian, and champion for mental health, Anna PATTY DUKE Pearce, closed her eyes, quieted her pain and ascended to a beautiful place. We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life. Her work endures... The Patty Duke Mental Health Project"
