Sondra Locke Anderson, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, is dead at the age of 74. Radar Online broke the story that she had actually died last month of complications from bone and breast cancer.
Locke earned two Golden Globe nominations for her 1968 screen debut in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter for Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer. She went on to work in four of her boyfriend Clint Eastwood’s films, starting with The Outlaw Josey Wales. Locke and Eastwood’s 13-year relationship ended in a palimony suit Locke filed against him in 1989. The suit was settled, but Locke brought another against Eastwood for a fake development deal he set up for her at Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers was also sued, and all parties settled out of court.
Locke had a double mastectomy in 1990, and her cancer appeared to be in remission. She is survived by her estranged husband Gordon Anderson, who co-starred with Locke in Ratboy as the titular Ratboy.