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Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall dies

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Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall, who was considered one of the last remaining icons of cinema’s golden age, died on Tuesday at the age of 89.

The actress reportedly suffered a stroke at her home in New York in the early hours of the morning.

A family spokesperson confirmed her death in a brief statement, saying: “With deep sorrow for the magnitude of our loss, yet with great gratitude for her amazing life, we confirm the passing of Lauren Bacall.”

Born Betty Jean Perske in New York in 1924, the Jewish actress was the only child of a Romanian mother and Polish father. She changed her name to a modified version of her mother’s maiden name when she began her acting career.

She began appearing in movies in the 1940s, starring in classics such as The Big Sleep and To Have and Have Not. She became as well known for her husky voice and on-screen chemistry with Humphrey Bogart, whom she married in 1945, as she did for her acting.

Over the course of her seven-decade-long career, Ms Bacall appeared in more than 30 movies, and won Tony Awards for her theatrical performances. In 2009, she was presented with an honorary Oscar in recognition of “her central place in the golden age of motion pictures”.

Ms Bacall was a cousin of former Israeli president Shimon Peres.

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