Ann Robinson, the plucky stunt woman turned actress who fought off Martians in the 1953 sci-fi classic The War of the Worlds, has died.
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Her death was just publicly confirmed by her family to The Hollywood Reporter, who said she passed away on Sept. 26, 2025, at her home in Los Angeles.
Robinson was 96.
Born on May 25, 1929, Robinson began her Hollywood career as a stunt woman. In 1953, she landed the role of Sylvia in The War of the Worlds, which became a surprise hit and won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
Over the decades, The War of the Worlds has become a favorite for generations of film fans. Back in February, popular horror host Svengoolie aired the beloved sci-fi movie on his show.
In 2011, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for its cultural, historic, and aesthetic significance.
Ann Robinson Also Appeared in a War of the Worlds TV Show and 2005 Remake
The film, adapted from H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel about Martians attacking Earth, was famously remade by Steven Spielberg in 2005 with Tom Cruise. Robinson and her co-star Gene Barry made spirited cameos, and Robinson later shared that Spielberg, a huge fan of the original, treated them like Hollywood royalty.
While some actors who run from the role that made them famous, Robinson embraced it. She became a beloved fixture at sci-fi conventions.
Meanwhile, Robinson often referenced the film’s enduring appeal and her work on the 1988 TV series of the same name. She once joked to Tom Weaver, author of Attack of the Monster Movie Makers, “I’ve gotten more mileage out of War of the Worlds than Vivien Leigh did on Gone with the Wind.”
Ann Robinson’s Colorful Career Beyond War of the Worlds
Robinson’s early career was packed with action. She doubled for June Havoc and got snagged on a 15-foot barbed-wire fence while escaping a state prison in The Story of Molly X (1949), rode horses with Roddy McDowall in Black Midnight (1949), stepped in for Shelley Winters in Frenchie (1950), and even appeared as an extra in A Place in the Sun (1951).
Though she said a hasty marriage to matador Jaime Bravo for halting her movie career, she found success on the small screen. Per IMDb, she made a string of guest appearances on iconic shows like Dragnet (1954), Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (1954), Perry Mason (1960), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961), Surfside 6 (1961), Ben Casey (1962), 77 Sunset Strip (1963), and even Gilligan’s Island (1966).
Robinson’s career took a pause until 1978, when she appeared on Police Woman and Days of Our Lives. She continued to work sporadically until her final film appearance in 2020’s The Last Page of Summer.
She is survived by her son, Jaime Bravo Jr., and two grandchildren.