Lorna Raver, a veteran actress known for guest roles in shows like Grey’s Anatomy and her memorable performance as the villain in the cult horror classic Drag Me to Hell, has died.
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Raver’s May 12 passing was just announced in the “In Memoriam” section of the Summer 2025 edition of SAG-AFTRA’s magazine. She was 81.
Born Lorna Raver Johnson on Oct. 9, 1943, in York, Pennsylvania, began her acting career at the renowned Hedgerow Theater near Philadelphia. After honing her craft, she moved to New York City, where she made her off-Broadway debut in 1979, playing a restaurant owner in Robin Swicord’s Last Days of the Dixie Girl Café, per The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1980, she starred in the premiere of Matt Williams’ Between Daylight and Boonville off-Broadway, before taking her talents to the Chicago theater scene. Eventually, she relocated to Los Angeles to further pursue her stage career.
According to IMDb, her onscreen debut came in 1990, playing the secretary to Dana Carvey’s character in Donald Petrie’s film Opportunity Knocks.
Raver was also known for her role on The Young and the Restless. She first appeared as Helen Miller in 1997, later taking on the role of Rebecca Kaplan, a concentration camp survivor, from 2006 to 2007. Meanwhile, her collaboration with David E. Kelley included a role in the 1997 pilot of The Practice and appearances as a judge in both Ally McBeal and Boston Legal.
She also appeared in episodes of ER, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Beverly Hills, 90210, Felicity, Judging Amy, and Star Trek: Voyager. Her other credits include Gilmore Girls, Charmed, First Watch, NYPD Blue, Cold Case, Desperate Housewives, Weeds, Nip/Tuck, Bones and Grey’s Anatomy.
Lorna Raver Lands Her Signature Role
Of course, Raver is best known for her chilling role in Sam Raimi’s 2009 horror classic Drag Me to Hell, where she played the elderly woman who curses Allison Lohman’s character, kicking off the story.
Many horror fans see Raver’s performance as a standout in the film, which marked Raimi’s return to the genre (he cut his teeth on the Evil Dead movies in the 1980s) after directing mainstream hits like the Spider-Man films.
She also appeared in films like Freeway (1996) and Armored (2009). Raver earned multiple Earphones Awards in recognition of her exceptional work in audiobooks.
Yuri Rasovsky, her partner of 25 years, was a writer, producer, and director for radio, celebrated with a Peabody Award and a Grammy nomination. He passed away in January 2012 at the age of 67.