Hollywood Legend Doris Day Has Died Aged 97

Cinema legend Doris Day has died at the age of 97, her charitable foundation has announced.

Day became famous in the 1950s and 60s and was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

Her credits include Calamity Jane, Love Me or Leave Me and Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Day also won two Academy Awards for Best Original Song for 'Secret Love' and 'Que Sera Sera'.

She then retired while she was in her 50s and became an animal rights activist. The foundation said that the actor "had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia."

The statement continued: "She was surrounded by a few close friends as she passed."

Day died at her home in Carmel Valley, California.

She began her career in the late 1940s, but really made her name playing roles in romantic comedies in the 1960s.

She rose to become one of the biggest stars of that era of cinema and also became a hugely successful recording artist.

Day released 20 studio albums over the course of her career, but then retired to pursue her passion for animals.

That work led her to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2004.

After joining the organisation Actors and Others for Animals in the 1970s, Day then decided to start her own organisations, starting with the Doris Day Animal League, and then the Doris Day Animal Foundation.

Day lived much of her later life out of the spotlight. She had not been seen properly in public since 1989.

Despite that, in 2017 the Associated Press managed to get their hands on her birth certificate. That document revealed that she was, in fact, two years older than she had thought. The birth certificate revealed that she was born in 1922, not 1924 as was previously believed.

Day said in a statement: "I've always said that age is just a number and I have never paid much attention to birthdays, but it's great to finally know how old I really am!"

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Day addressed her legacy. She said: "I enjoyed working and always tried to do the best job I could with every role.

"I'm thrilled to know that people are still watching my films and are uplifted by them."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: TV and Film, US News, UK Entertainment, US Entertainment

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a freelance journalist and LADbible contributor. He graduated from University of London with a BA in Philosophy before studying for a Masters in Journalism at the University of Salford. He has previously written for the M.E.N Group as well as working for several top professional sports clubs. Contact him on [email protected]

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