Ann Robinson, 'War of the Worlds' Star, Dead at 96

Ann Robinson, the flame-haired star of the sci-fi classic "The War of the Worlds," has died.

Robinson died September 26, 2025, at her L.A. home. Her family only recently made her death public.

Born May 25, 1929, Robinson came to Hollywood first as a stunt woman. She miraculously won the role of Sylvia in "The War of the Worlds," which became a surprise hit, winning an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

The film was selected in 2011 to be preserved in the National Film Registry for its cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance.

The film, adapted from H.G. Wells' 1898 novel about Martians attacking Earth, was remade by Steven Spielberg in 2005 with Tom Cruise. Robinson and her co-star Gene Barry gamely appeared in it playing grandparents. Robinson fondly recalled that they were treated like royalty by the director, a major fan of the original.

Unlike some actors who hated being typecast or overly associated with one project, Robinson embraced her mission as the film's last surviving emissary, appearing at autograph shows and sci-fi conventions.

Referencing the film's enduring appeal — as well as her work on a 1988-1990 TV series of the same name — Robinson once joked to "Attack of the Monster Movie Makers" author Tom Weaver, “I’ve gotten more mileage out of 'War of the Worlds' than Vivien Leigh did on 'Gone with the Wind.'"

Some of Robinson's other films included parts and extra work in "The Story of Molly X" (1949), "Black Midnight" (1949), "Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion" (1950), "All About Eve" (1950),"Frenchie" (1950), "A Place in the Sun" (1951), and "Imitation of Life" (1959).

She blamed an impulsive marriage to a matador on her movie career stalling, but she did make quite a few TV guest appearances, including on the iconic shows "Dragnet" (1954), "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger" (1954), "Perry Mason" (1960), "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1961), "Surfside 6" (1961), "Ben Casey" (1962), "77 Sunset Strip" (1963), and "Gilligan's Island" (1966).

Robinson did not act again until appearing on "Police Woman" (1978) and as Bobbie on "Days of Our Lives" (1978).

She worked sporadically until 2020, when she appeared in the film "The Last Page of Summer."

Robinson is survived by her son and two grandchildren.