Actress Ann Robinson, best known for appearing in the 1953 sci-fi classic The War of the Worlds, has died aged 96.
Robinson died on September 26, 2025 at her home in Los Angeles. The news of her death was not announced immediately and her family confirmed the news later. No cause of death has been released publicly.
To movie fans, Robinson will always be remembered as Sylvia Van Buren, the brave young woman caught in the middle of a terrifying Martian invasion in The War of the Worlds. The film would go on to be one of the most famous science fiction films of its era and helped define how Hollywood would tell stories about alien invasions.
But Robinson’s Hollywood career was underway before that famous role.
Born Hollywood, May 25, 1929. Before achieving fame as an actress, she was a stunt rider. Her talent with horses got her into the film industry at an early age. Later she went into acting, appearing in film and television during the golden age of Hollywood.
Her big break came when she was cast in The War of the Worlds. She was early in her acting career then, but the role changed her life. The film was a huge hit and remained popular for decades. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2011 on the grounds of being culturally and historically significant.
Many actors can find being so closely associated with one famous role to be quite confining. But Robinson seemed to appreciate and embrace the enduring love the movie has among people. Through the years she has attended fan events and conventions where she met viewers who remembered her performance after so many decades.
She also revisited the world of The War of the Worlds on more than one occasion. She was in the 1980s TV series based on the story, and also made a cameo in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 remake with her original co-star Gene Barry.
For long-time fans, that cameo was a big deal. It was a respectful nod to the original film, and to the actors who helped make it unforgettable.
But Robinson’s career wasn’t a one-movie wonder. She was in a number of other films and TV shows. Her credits include Dragnet, Imitation of Life, Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ben Casey, Gilligan’s Island and other popular shows from earlier television eras.
Personal developments in her life also affected her career. In 1957 she married the Mexican matador Jaime Bravo. The marriage changed the trajectory of her Hollywood career, she later said, and slowed opportunities that once seemed possible. The marriage ended and she returned to work as an actress, continuing to work in films and on television.
That part of her story makes her more relatable. She was not just an actress of an old movie poster. She was a woman who chose, who regretted, who started again, who kept going.
Robinson worked for many decades and even late in life she remained connected to the entertainment world. She remained a favourite with classic film fans, especially those who liked old sci-fi films.
She died, closing another chapter of Hollywood’s golden age. She came from an era when science fiction was just beginning to find its voice on the big screen and The War of the Worlds helped pave the way for many films to come.
Robinson was memorable not only for her flaming hair, or for starring in a famous movie. That was how she entered film history and kept that legacy alive with warmth. She didn’t shy away from the role that made her famous. She knew what it meant to the fans.
Ann Robinson leaves behind a career that spanned stunts, classic Hollywood films, TV appearances, fan conventions and late-career screen roles. Her name will remain forever associated with one of the most important science fiction films of the 1950s.
She will always be remembered by many as the woman who took on the Martians on screen.
But she also will be remembered as an actress who lived through the highs and disappointments of Hollywood, found her way back more than once, and stayed in the movie world for most of her life.
Ann Robinson’s screen presence may be from another era, but her work lives on whenever a new viewer discovers The War of the Worlds.