Ann Blyth, an actress who garnered an Academy Award nomination at 17 for her portrayal of a manipulative daughter in the film noir classic “Mildred Pierce,” and who later showcased her vocal talents in MGM musicals, has died. She was 98.

Blyth died Wednesday of natural causes at her home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, her daughter, Eileen McNulty, confirmed. Her family was with her at the time of her death.

Blyth was one of the last surviving actors from the era of the Hollywood studio system. Her career spanned youth-oriented films and dramas, and she shared the screen with actors such as Joan Crawford, Mario Lanza, Howard Keel, Bing Crosby, Gregory Peck, and Robert Mitchum. She concluded her film career in the late 1950s to focus on her children but continued to perform in television musicals, concerts, and stage productions, including touring with “Show Boat” and “The Sound of Music."

She began acting and singing at a young age. Her first significant break came at 13 when she was cast in Lillian Hellman's anti-Nazi play “Watch on the Rhine,” starring Bette Davis. The play ran on Broadway for nearly a year and then toured for another year.

When “Watch on the Rhine” played in Los Angeles, Universal Studio signed Blyth to a contract. Initially appearing in low-budget musicals, her career was significantly elevated by her loan-out to Warner Bros. for “Mildred Pierce.”

In the 1945 film “Mildred Pierce,” Blyth played Veda Pierce, the spoiled and scheming daughter of Joan Crawford's character, a waitress who builds a restaurant empire. Blyth's performance earned her a supporting actress Oscar nomination. The film, directed by Michael Curtiz, was a departure from the cheerful musicals Blyth had previously been known for, earning her descriptions in magazines like “Incorruptible!” and “Angelic Annie."

Blyth's career faced a potential setback in 1946 when she broke her back in a toboggan accident. She spent months in casts and a wheelchair, relying on her faith for strength. Upon her recovery, she returned to acting, taking on roles in films such as “Swell Guy,” “Brute Force,” and “Killer McCoy.” She also demonstrated her dramatic abilities in “A Woman’s Vengeance” and as the young Regina Hubbard in “Another Part of the Forest,” a prequel to Hellman's “The Little Foxes."

Her career took a musical turn in 1951 with her starring role opposite Mario Lanza in “The Great Caruso.” Her soprano voice complemented Lanza's tenor, leading to their casting in “The Student Prince.” Later, she co-starred with Howard Keel in the musicals “Rose Marie” and “Kismet.”

Blyth’s filmography also includes “Top o’ the Morning” with Bing Crosby, “The World in His Arms” with Gregory Peck, and a reunion with Donald O’Connor in “The Buster Keaton Story.” Her final film was 1957’s “The Helen Morgan Story,” which also featured Paul Newman.

Born in Mount Kisco, New York, in 1928, Blyth grew up in New York City. Her mother, who worked to support the family after her husband left, encouraged Ann’s acting aspirations from a young age. Blyth began performing on New York radio at age five and later spent three years studying and performing with the San Carlo Opera Company.

In 1953, Blyth married Dr. James McNulty, with whom she had five children. The couple remained married until McNulty's death in 2007. In 1954, shortly before the birth of their son Timothy, Blyth made television history by performing “Secret Love” at the Academy Awards ceremony while visibly pregnant.

Blyth passed away approximately three years after other notable figures such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Robert Duvall, Neil Sedaka, and Robert Carradine, who also died in early 2026.