Pink Panther franchise star Elke Sommer has passed away just a week shy of her 86th birthday.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Sommer died of heart failure on Oct. 28 at her Bel Air, California, home, her stepson Sebastian Walther shared with the German outlet Bild. Her husband, German hotelier Wolf Walther, passed away just three months ago following a battle with cancer.
"Elke passed away peacefully around 10 p.m. Now she can finally be with her beloved husband again," Sebastian told Bild.
Sommer's acting career spanned decades, working with Hollywood legends like Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Paul Newman, and Rita Hayworth.
Born Elke Schletz in Berlin in 1940, Sommer moved to London at 17 to work as an au pair, according to The Hollywood Reporter. However, while on vacation in Viareggio, Italy, with her mother, Sommer soon found her break in showbiz. Reportedly, while at a cafe, she randomly won a beauty contest, with a snapshot of the occasion making a local paper and catching the attention of a film producer.
Small roles in films like L'amico del giaguaro (1959) and Men and Noblemen (also 1959) followed. Soon after, the budding actress adopted the stage name Sommer, landing roles in Love, the Italian Way (1960), Daniela by Night (1961), and her English-language debut, Why Bother to Knock (1961).
Elke Sommer Won a Golden Globe Starring Opposite Paul Newman
Her Hollywood breakthrough came with 1963's The Prize, starring opposite Paul Newman. The acting turn earned her a Golden Globe for Best Female Newcomer.
Sommer found herself echoing a recent photo spread for Playboy in her role opposite Peter Sellers in 1964's A Shot in the Dark (a sequel to 1963's The Pink Panther). Her sultry character, maid Maria Gambrelli, serves as both a murder suspect and the love interest for Sellers' famous Inspector Clouseau character. The following year, she starred alongside James Garner and Dick Van Dyke in The Art of Love.
She went on to appear in films like The Oscar (1966), Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966) alongside Bob Hope, and The Wrecking Crew (1968) opposite Dean Martin. In the 1970s, she starred in two projects for legendary Italian horror director Mario Bava: Baron Blood (1972) and Lisa and the Devil (1973).
She later appeared in guest roles on major TV shows, including St. Elsewhere, Fantasy Island, and The Love Boat.
Her final screen credit was a voice part in the 2017 short film titled A Thousand Kisses.
The beloved actress would have celebrated her 86th birthday on Nov. 5.
