'To Kill a Mockingbird' star Rosemary Murphy passes away

Rosemary Murphy, the actress who filled the role of Maudie Atkinson in 1962s 'To Kill a Mockingbird' has died. She was 89.

Murphy's agent Alan Willig told the Hollywood Reporter that the star, who died in her Upper East Side apartment in New York City, was recently detected with esophageal cancer.

The actress' character in the 1962 classic, which was based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, showed Murphy as 'Miss Maudie,' the neighbour of attorney Atticus Finch, played by Gregory Peck, who gave his children lessons on racism and human nature.

Murphy had earned 3 nominations for Tony awards and two for Emmy throughout her career, where she had won an Emmy for portraying Sara Delano Roosevelt, mother of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1976 TV movie 'Eleanor and Franklin.'

The actress' nephew said that she would be given last goodbyes at a memorial service, which would be held in Manhattan in September.