She died of cancer Eileen Brennan, star of the film 'The Awful recruits'
Eileen Brennan, who was nominated for an Oscar for her hilarious performance as the exasperated captain of a military camp in the 1980 film, The Awful recruit (Private Benjamin), died at age 80, as confirmed by CNN.
Brennan died Sunday at his home in Burbank, California, after battling bladder cancer, the company said that the accounts.
"Our family is grateful for the expressions of love and respect for Eileen," his family said in a statement. "She was funny, attentive and really unique. We will never forget her strength and love. All of us will be greatly missed. "
Brennan was known for starring lewd, insolent women, those that are rough on the surface but have a pure heart and cheerful.
He played a waitress in the film The Last Picture Show (The Last Picture Show, 1971) was the wife of Paul Newman in The Sting (The Sting, 1973), to a wisecracking maid in At Long Last Love (1975) and the role of Mrs. Peacock in The Clue (Clue, 1985). He also made many roles in television series and even reprized the role he did in The Awful recruits in a series bearing the same name.
His other television roles include guest-performances in Taxi, thirtysomething, ER, Crime Reporter, Mad About You, Touched by an Angel and six episodes of Will & Grace. Thanks to the latter was nominated for an Emmy, one of seven he won during his career. One of the prizes he won was cast as comic actress in the series The Awful recruit.
Verla Eileen Regina Brennan was born in Los Angeles in 1932, his father was a doctor and her mother, silent film actress. After doing several small roles in theater, eventually became known in 1959 for his performance as Little Mary Sunshine, for which he won an Obie Award.
Five years later, she became famous for her role as Irene Molloy, one of the victims of the skills of the matchmaker Dolly Levi in the musical success of the 1960s, Hello Dolly!
In 1982, Brennan was involved in a serious accident: the hit by a car when leaving a restaurant with her costar in The Awful recruit, Goldie Hawn. He suffered fractures to the face, one eye out of its socket and broke both legs.
Still not recovered physically-a process that took years, suffered with addiction to painkillers and checked into the Betty Ford clinic in 1984.
"It was my only hope," said Brennan told People magazine in 1985. "I reached the point in taking anything that fell into my hands."
However, true to his cheerful attitude, told the magazine that prided itself on its recovery.
"Everybody hits bottom in his own way," he said. "Mine came through my accident, which caused my addiction to pills, which led to my birth. Birth and rebirth not say because I feel like new born. Reestablished the spiritual connection that you lose when you take any kind of drug. Interestingly I would have lost my accident. It baffles me to say, but I'm serious. "
Brennan also survived an encounter with breast cancer in 1990.
Brennan was married to David John Lampson between 1968 and 1974. He is survived by his two sons, Patrick Brennan and Sam Lampson.
