Oscar winning actress Olympia Dukakis dies aged 89

Oscar winning actress Olympia Dukakis has died aged 89 after months of failing health. 

Dukakis, who starred in Moonstruck and Steel Magnolias, died at her home in New York City on Saturday morning. 

Her cause of death has not been revealed. 

‘My beloved sister, Olympia Dukakis, passed away this morning in New York City. After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis,’ her brother Apollo said in a statement.

Her husband of 56 years, Louis Zorich, died in 2018. 

She is survived by her three children: Christina, Peter and Stefan.  

Throughout her decorated career, Dukakis acted in more than 130 theater productions, 60 films and 50 TV series.  

Dukakis won an Oscar for her role as Rose in the 1987 film Mooonstruck where she starred as Cher’s mother. 

She was a Golden Globe nominee for the 1992 miniseries biopic Sinatra and also received Emmy Award nominations for Lucky Day, More Tales and the City and Joan of Arc. 

Dukakis was also a decorated state actress having performed in more than 100 Broadway and off-Broadway productions. 

She was given a Hollywood Walk of Fame star back in 2013. 

Her cousin is former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who went up against George H.W. Bush as a the Democrat candidate in the 1988 presidential election.

She gave a shout out to Michael in her Oscars acceptance speech by screaming out: ‘Ok Michael, let’s go!’