Maureen Stapleton

Actress Maureen Stapleton poses in her apartment in New York on Sept. 27, 1978, when she was appearing on Broadway in "The Gin Game." Stapleton appeared in numerous stage productions, winning her first Tony Award at age 24 in Tennessee Williams' Broadway hit "The Rose Tattoo." Stapleton's friendship with Williams was well-known and he wrote three plays for her, but she never appeared in any of them.

Maureen Stapleton holds her Oscar for best performance by a supporting actress in "Reds" at the 54th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 30, 1982. Stapleton, the award-winning character actress whose subtle vulnerability and down-to-earth toughness earned her dramatic and comedic roles on stage, screen, and television, died of on Monday, March 13, 2006. She was 80.

Maureen Stapleton holds her Oscar for best performance by a supporting actress in "Reds" at the 54th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 30, 1982. Stapleton also earned an Emmy and two Tony Awards.

Maureen Stapleton, seen in a September 1982 photo, died on March 13, 2006, at age 80. According to her son, the long-time smoker died from chronic pulmonary disease in the town of Lenox, Mass., where she had been living. In her 1995 autobiography, "Hell of a Life" the award-winning actress said that the 'key' to acting is "to keep the audience awake."

Comedian Alan King embraces actress Maureen Stapleton during Stapleton's 70th birthday party at Sardi's restaurant in New York, on Sept. 11, 1995. The award-winning star of the stage, screen and television died Monday, March 13, 2006, at age 80. She appeared in many films, including "Bye Bye Birdie," "Airport" and "Cocoon."