Alicia Rhett Dies, Oldest Remaining 'Gone With The Wind' Star Mourned
Alicia Rhett who starred in 1939's "Gone With the Wind," died on Friday, Jan. 3.
The actress portrayed India Wilkes in the famed film alongside Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O'Neil and Vivien Leigh, among others.
According to a spokeswoman, Rhett died of natural causes at a retirement community in Charleston, South Carolina, reported CNN.
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Rhett was one of the oldest living "Gone With the Wind" stars; she was 98 when she died.
Fortunately, friends at Bishop Gadsen Epicopal Retirement Community surrounded the actress at the time of her death, said Kimberly Farfone Borts, a spokeswoman for the community.
Although Rhett earned widespread fame with her role in "Gone With the Wind," the actress left Hollywood to return home to Charleston and never appeared in another movie again.
Instead of acting, Rhett became well known as a talented artist, with many of her works seen in the state library and in plantations in the Charleston area. She was also known to sketch her friends and fellow "Gone With the Wind" cast mates, according to Borts.
On Twitter, many of Rhett's fans were mourning her on Sunday.
"Today we lost Alicia Rhett (India Wilkes) one of the last living stars of #GoneWithTheWind," posted Scarlett.
"For fans of #gonewiththewind it is sad to hear that Alicia Rhett has passed at 98," Paul wrote. "She played the jealous and vengeful India Wilkes."
Michael wrote, "Rather astounding there are still surviving cast members from Gone with the Wind, though most in their late 90s."
The actress leaves behind no family members.
The death of the "Gone With the Wind" starlet arrives just six months after her co-star Ann Rutherford passed away at age 94.
Rutherford portrayed Careen O'Hara, the little sister of Scarlett O'Hara in the classic film. Unlike Rhett, Rutherford went on to star in Western films alongside actors Gene Autry and John Wayne, as well as films "A Christmas Carol" and "Pride and Prejudice."
