Piper Laurie, 3-time Oscar nominee with film credits such as 'The Hustler' and 'Carrie,' dies at 91

Actress Piper Laurie arrives at the Women in Film Crystal Lucy Awards, Friday June 12, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

Piper Laurie, the strong-willed, Oscar-nominated actor who performed in acclaimed roles despite at one point abandoning acting altogether in search of a "more meaningful" life, has died. She was 91.

She received Academy Award nominations for three very different films: The 1961 poolroom drama "The Hustler"; the film version of Stephen King's horror classic "Carrie," in 1976; and the romantic drama "Children of a Lesser God," in 1986. She also appeared in several acclaimed roles on television and the stage, including in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" in the 1990s.