'Poltergeist' Star Zelda Rubinstein Dies at 76

By PopEater Staff Posted Jan 27th 2010 05:30PM

Actress Zelda Rubinstein, who played spirit talker Tangina in Steven Spielberg's cult 1982 film 'Poltergeist,' has passed away. Her agent, Eric Stevens, confirmed she passed away of natural causes at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 27. She was 76-years-old.

Stevens tells RadarOnline.com, "She had ongoing health issues and unfortunately they finally overtook her."

"At 1:59 this morning Zelda left us. She was very much at peace when she finally rested. I'm so sad right now, but I'm glad I was here to be with her and hold her hand," a friend of the actress said.

She was hospitalized in Los Angeles in December after two of her major organs failed. According to reports, friends and family insisted Rubinstein was on the mend earlier this month.

A friends adds, "She was very much at peace when she finally rested... The world has definitely lost someone very special."

'Poltergeist' was Rubinstein's big break in Hollywood, but she also appeared in 'Poltergeist II: The Other Side,' 'National Lampoon's Last Resort' and 'Sixteen Candles.' Her other credits include 'Caroline in the City,' 'Picket Fences' and 'Mr. Belvedere.'

Tags: Zelda Rubinstein, ZeldaRubinstein

Comments

(68)

Wednesday 27 January

By Arlette

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Zelda will be missed dearly.

By Anna

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She will?

By Wish Belkin

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Remarkable that South Park did a send up of her just tonight.
What timing.

Thursday 28 January

By userbub12487

South Park featured Zelda in an episode last summer. She ended up a splatter in a hospital parking lot

By steve

I never followed her movies, but she was great in that movie.

By Susan

I would rank her right up there with the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz....very scary!

By Connie

I know the obvious humorous thing will be to talk of her famous line about "going into the light" but I know this little lady is prob basking in the light right now and laughing with angels...Zelda we love you RIP

By james

I thought she was at least 90 years old.

By christina

What a great, spunky lady!

By vee

spunky,she definately was. i remember in the second poltergeist movie when she came onto the screen, everyone loudly applauded in the theatre. spunky to the rescue! lol she is with the angels now.

By Jana

Poltergeist was freaky scary! Right up there w/ Psycho! This lady was very funny in Sixteen Candles. Enjoyed her talent.

By Dave

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Me and a pal were just talking about Poltergiest today, and it's supposed "death curse". Not that it applies to Ms. Rubenstein of course!

By bella redhead

u and i both. i assume WAY older but only because i thought she was older in poltergeist,just happy she was able to have a long life even if some women/men live into 100. god bless her. and i do
love her acting funny yet very astute,with handling the whole dialogue she had to deal with. the light THE LIGHT carol annnnn!
i love her and the entire movie! FOREVER...
THE LAST POLTERGEIST SUCK THOUGH
1 WAS BEST
RIP CHICA,REST IN PEACE ADIOS.

By ronald

shes now with the 4 other people who died in the movie the aids guy the girl who was murdered carrol ann and the indian witch dr who was actualy blessing the place cause of evil from real bones used in the movie

By no_hatin'

THE AIDS GUY? IS THAT ALL HE IS?

By Mandi P

RIP Zelda, nicest lady ever! Of the main charters in the original: Dominque was killed by her boyfriend (very sad), Heather died of stenosis and Lou was killed in his own home. BTW, I have NO idea to whom you are referring when speaking about such a deadly disease in such a disrespectful manner.

By Kevin

WTF!!!! Aids? R U Kiddin me! Don't think that is what killed him. U can't die of AIDS. LOL!

By Lisa

Neither guy who died had aids for your information...One guy died of stomach cancer and the other died from kidney failure...You might want to get your facts straight before you post such stupid stuff.

shes the one who speaks for the show scariest places on earth

By Barb

I could not stand her voice, in the Poltergeist and Scariest Places on Earth. Im sure she was a lovely lady, but that voice omg it haunts me.

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