Carole Cook, ‘Sixteen Candles' Star, Has Died at 98

Carole Cook, known for performances in “Sixteen Candles” and “The Incredible Mr. Limpet,” has died. She was 98.

A rep for the veteran star confirmed the news, saying, “On behalf of her husband, Tom Troupe, and the family who was with her at the end, I have been asked to report that the legendary actress of stage and screen (both large and small), Carole Cook, has passed away.”

Born Mildred Frances Cook on Jan. 14, 1924, in Abilene, Texas, she got her big break in show business when Hollywood icon Lucille Ball became a mentor, helping her transition from a stage career to on-screen performances.

In 1959, Ball invited Cook into her actor collective, The Desilu Workshop, and she was the one who convinced the woman named Mildred to become Carole — chosen in honor of Carole Lombard.

Ball noted that her protégé had “the same healthy disrespect for everything in general” as Lombard, a late screwball comedy star who starred in movies like “My Man Godfrey” and “Twentieth Century” in the 1930s.

The "I Love Lucy" actor and producer even served as matron of honor at Cook's 1964 wedding Troupe, a fellow actor.

In a 2022 interview with Everything Zoomer, Cook shared a piece of advice Ball gave her that helped her navigate stardom.

“I remember Lucy saying clearly, ‘Carole, practice the art of selfishness,’ and what she meant by that is if you take care of yourself you are helping everyone else,” Cook said.

“In this business, you meet everyone from the lowest to the highest and I take from everyone I meet on this journey. And, if you’re smart, you take the good things. Be very selective.”

Taking “the good things” led Cook to craft a resume filled with an eclectic and memorable mix of dramatic, comedic and musical performances over the course of more than 60 years in the entertainment industry. 

On stage, Cook took on leading roles in productions of “Hello, Dolly!” (1965,1966),” “Steel Magnolias,” (1988-1989) and “The Lion in Winter” (1994).” While on the big screen, in addition to her parts in “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” (1964), alongside Don Knotts, and in John Hughes’ coming-of-age comedy “Sixteen Candles,” Cook also made her mark in films such as the Richard Gere-led “American Gigolo” (1980) and the David Spade comedy “Lost & Found” (1999).

But she also stayed busy on the small screen, with guest appearances in some of television’s biggest hits, including spots in 1970s series “Maude,” “Charlies Angels” and “Kojak,” 1980s parts in “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Dynasty.” And in 2006, she played a patient on the “Grey’s Anatomy” episode, "Tell Me Sweet Lies."

Outside of acting, Cook and her husband were both devoted to their work in the fight against HIV and AIDS. And even after medical progress meant that contracting HIV was no longer considered a death sentence, the star vowed to keep up the fight.

“We can’t just sit on our butts and say everything is fine,” she told Queer Voices. “It’s not. We have to do something. We lost so many people near and dear to us that it’s our responsibility to keep working until the disease wiped off the planet.”

Cook is survived by her husband, her stepson, Christopher Troupe, and her sister, Regina Cocanougher.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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