“An Officer and a Gentleman” Star Lisa Blount Dies

Lisa Blount, an actress best known for her role in "An Officer and a Gentleman." was found dead in her home in Little Rock, Ark., on October 27. She was 53.

According to the Pulaski County Coroner Garland Camper, Blount most likely died on Monday. No foul play was expected.

Blount, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her 1982 role as Deborah Winger's best friend in "An Officer and a Gentleman," may have died from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a rare blood disorder in which low levels of platelets prevent the blood from clotting properly. The condition can lead to bleeding and bruising.

Her mother, Louise Blount, believes it contributed to her daughter's death.

"I think that might have been part of the problem when she passed away because when I found her she had a purple look on her neck that looked like blood on the surface," she said.

In addition to acting, Blount was also an Oscar-winning filmmaker. She and her husband, actor and director Ray McKinnon, shared the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film for "The Accountant" in 2001.

Selected Reading: New York Daily News, Radar Online, New York Times

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