Ann Robinson, the red-haired actress best known for facing off against invading Martians in the 1953 sci-fi classic The War of the Worlds, has died. She was 96.

Robinson died on Sept. 26 at her home in Los Angeles, her granddaughter, Tori Bravo, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Her death was not publicly announced until now.

Ann Robinson was an American actress best known for starring in the 1953 sci-fi classic The War of the Worlds. Born on May 25, 1929, in Hollywood, California, Robinson began acting in the early 1950s after studying at Hollywood High School and working briefly as a stunt rider and model.

She rose to fame playing Sylvia Van Buren opposite Gene Barry in The War of the Worlds, directed by Byron Haskin and produced by George Pal. The film became one of the most influential science-fiction movies of its era and remains a genre classic. Robinson’s performance as the determined survivor fleeing a Martian invasion made her a recognizable face in 1950s Hollywood.

Following the success of The War of the Worlds, Robinson appeared in several films and television shows, including Dragnet, Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Peter Gunn. Though she never became a major studio star, she remained a beloved figure among sci-fi fans and frequently attended film conventions and retrospectives celebrating classic cinema.

According to the Daily Beast, she also returned to the franchise in a 1980s TV adaptation and later joked about the movie’s lasting impact on her career, saying, “I’ve gotten more mileage out of War of the Worlds than Vivien Leigh did on Gone With the Wind.”

Robinson later returned to the War of the Worlds franchise with a cameo in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 remake starring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. Her appearance was viewed as a tribute to the original film and her legacy within science-fiction history.