A week after suffering catastrophic injuries in a vehicle accident, the American performer Anne Heche passed away.
TMZ, a US online media outlet, received confirmation of the news from a family representative who issued the following statement: “We have lost a bright light, a lovely and most joyous soul, a loving mother, and a devoted friend. Although Anne will be sorely missed, she continues to influence society through her endearing boys, legendary body of work, and fierce activism. Her courage in always speaking the truth and sharing her message of acceptance and love will have an everlasting effect.
Heche was said to be “brain dead” on Friday afternoon, which is the legal definition of death in California. Heche’s removal from life support was announced earlier in the day.
Earlier, the actor’s pal Nancy Davis posted on Instagram, saying: “Heaven has a new Angel. My gorgeous, kind, fun-loving, and compassionate buddy @anneheche passed to heaven. I will remember all of the lovely moments we have shared and mourn her tremendously.
Anne always brought out the best in me and was the sweetest, most considerate person I’ve ever met. My heart is shattered.
After colliding with a house in Los Angeles on August 5, Heche was reported to be in “stable” condition by the actor’s publicist. This raised hopes that Heche would recover. She was reportedly communicating to the firefighters as they cut her free from the debris and transported her to the hospital.
However, the actor lost consciousness shortly after, and on August 8th, Heche’s agents provided an update stating that Heche was in a “ultra serious state” and had entered a coma. Her family released a statement on Friday informing the public that she was not expected to live and was being kept on life support so doctors could see if they might donate any of her organs.
Her first significant performance was in the gangster movie Donnie Brasco as Johnny Depp’s girlfriend (1997). She also appeared in the enduring films Wag the Dog, Volcano, and the slasher classic I Know What You Did Last Summer during the same year.
Shortly after the comedian came out as gay, Heche had a high-profile relationship with comedy star and talk show presenter Ellen DeGeneres. Heche expressed her thanks to Harrison Ford for continuing to film the romantic comedy Six Days, Seven Nights despite homophobic criticism to the couple’s three-year relationship.
She played Marion Crane in Gus van Sant’s revisionist, shot-for-shot remake of Hitchcock’s Psycho in 1998, and over the next ten years, she averaged one picture per year, picking challenging artistic endeavours to balance with her parental duties.
She portrayed Ashton Kutcher’s girlfriend in the hustler comedy Spread and Nicole Kidman’s sister in Jonathan Glazer’s psychological thriller Birth. She appeared in the critically acclaimed independent comedy Cedar Rapids in 2011 and co-starred in Rampart as corrupt cop Woody Harrelson’s ex-wife.
The mother of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in a 2017 biopic and a furious artist opposite Sandra Oh in the critically acclaimed 2016 black comedy Catfight are two recent significant film roles. In his review of the movie, Benjamin Lee of the Guardian praised it as “a rare comedy with something to say and a highly ambitious structure that goes far beyond its small budget.”
Both protagonists are outstanding, with Heche in particular proving to be a welcome presence on the big screen and given the opportunity to inhabit more than simply a supporting role.
