The veteran Canadian actress Alberta Watson has died. She was 60 and was suffering from cancer from a long time.
"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of the luminous Alberta Watson," USA Today quoted a statement from the Gary Goddard Agency. "Alberta died in the arms of her beloved (husband) Ken on Saturday, March 21, at Kensington Hospice (in Toronto) after a long and incredibly courageous battle with cancer."
Watson's career span lasted for four decades in showbusiness including both TV and film industry. The actress was best known for her iconic role as special agent Erin Driscoll on the Fox drama "24," where she played the role of head of the counter terrorism unit.
Watson will also be remembered as Madeline from the hit Canadian show "La Femme Nikita." She also appeared in the U.S. version of the show, continuing his character in the thriller.
During the making of the second season of "La Femme Nikita" in 1998, Watson fell ill and was diagnosed with lymphoma. The actress underwent the chemotherapy sessions bravely to fight back the deadly disease.
The physical debacle did not slow down Watson in her career as she continued to feature in the show. The producer adjusted the format of the show smartly so as to limit her appearance in the show for a while. Watson lost her hair during chemotherapy due to which had to wear a wig for the shoot.
As her hair started to regrow, Watson sported the short haircut look in the third season of the show "La Femme Nikita." Watson's first name was adapted as a screen name in the show "24" and her character was named Alberta Green.
Apart from TV, Watson has also done some memorable movies like "Shoemaker," "Hacker," and "Spanking The Monkey." The actress had played a controversial role in "Spanking The Monkey" which was rejected by many other actresses including Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange. She played the role of a mother who had an incestuous relationship with her son.
"I took it because it was a heck of a challenge. And I'm not a name with an image to protect," said the actress during an interview.