Karen Black Dead: Black Starred in Films Including ‘Five Easy Pieces’ and ’Nashville'

Actress Karen Black arrives for the world premiere of 'Hitchcock' at the AFI FEST 2012 presented by Audi, at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California November 1, 2012. She died oN Thursday, August 8, 2013, her husband announced. (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

Karen Black, a renowned actress who starred in dozens of films, including “Five Easy Pieces” and “Nashville,” died on Thursday.

Black’s husband Stephen Eckelberry said on Facebook around 4:55 EDT that “It is with great sadness that I have to report that my wife and best friend, Karen Black has just passed away, only a few minutes ago.”

“Thank you all for all your prayers and love, they meant so much to her as they did to me,” he said.

Black had been struggling with ampullary cancer since November 2010, and had two more operations this year to minimize the cancer.

Earlier this year she began a crowdfunding campaign, seeking to get treatment in Europe. She raised over $61,000. She wasn’t strong enough to make a flight there, though, and ended up at a hospital in the Los Angeles area.

In a Wednesday blog post, Eckelberry said that “The cancer is still spreading slowly and it takes its toll.”

Black was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for “Five Easy Pieces” and a host of other awards, such as three Golden Globes, two of which she won. One was for Best Supporting Actress in “Five Easy Pieces” and another was Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture for “The Great Gatsby.”