Oscar Nominee Juanita Moore Dies at 99

Juanita Moore, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 1959 Douglas Sirk film Imitation of Life, died Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles, Varietyreports. She was 99.

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Born in Los Angeles, Moore was a chorus girl in her childhood and went on to star in movies, first as an extra and later in larger roles on stage and screen. The first movie she starred in was 1949's Pinky, and when she was nominated for an Academy Award for Imitation of Life, she was only the fifth African-American to receive a nomination in any category.

She also appeared on TV shows including ER, Dragnet and Judging Amy.

Moore's nephew told Variety that charity work was also very important to her, and she was a founding member of the Cambridge Players.

Moore is survived by her grandson and two nephews, according to Variety. Her husband of 50 years, Charles Burris, died in 2001.