Hollywood legend Elke Sommer has died at the age of 85. She passed away on Wednesday, October 28, at her home in Los Angeles.
According to Page Six, the actress died of heart failure just days before her 86th birthday in November 2026. Her stepson, Sebastian Walther, confirmed the news in a statement.
Family tribute and funeral plans
Speaking to German magazine Bild, Sebastian Walther said: "Now she can finally be with her beloved husband again," adding that she "could never have imagined a life without her beloved Papa Bear." The reference was to her husband, hotelier Wolf Walther, who died from cancer three months ago in July 2026.
Bild also reported that Sommer wanted to be buried in her family's grave in Marloffstein, Germany, where her parents are buried. Her stepson is said to be arranging for Sommer and her husband to be laid to rest together there.
Career highlights
Sommer's career began after she appeared in Playboy magazine, before landing a role alongside Sharon Tate in the 1968 spy comedy The Wrecking Crew.
She won a Golden Globe for the 1963 film The Prize, opposite Paul Newman, and starred in Blake Edwards' "A Shot in the Dark," part of the Pink Panther series. Sommer also appeared in the Carry On franchise in 1975, playing Professor Anna Vooshka in Carry On Behind.
She made TV and film appearances throughout the 70s until 2000, but in 2014, she said in a rare interview that despite receiving occasional acting offers, she would rather stay home and paint.
Life after acting
"I am dreaming of a role that's really different," she explained. "I would love to play an old hooker or a toothless street person. When this dream part comes along, I will shout it from the mountaintops. Until then, I can finally enjoy what I have, time with my husband and with our dog and my beautiful houses here in Beverly Hills and in Germany – life in a pure and unobstructed form."
