The actress who played Sally Hardesty in the 1978 film was 65 years old

Aug 6, 2014 07:05 GMT  ·  By

Marilyn Burns was a slasher film icon in Hollywood and most of us remembered her as the heroine survivor in the cult classic “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” The actress was found dead in her home in Houston, Texas on August 5.

TMZ reports on her death and her manager confirms the news. “She was found unresponsive by a family member this morning in her Houston, TX area home. Her family asks for privacy at this time. Further details will be released later,” said her representative.

Though known mostly for her role in the horror film, the actress who was born in Pennsylvania and raised in Texas started working on her acting career when she was pretty young. She took acting classes in school and made her debut in Robert Altman's “Brewster McCloud” when she was still taking courses at the drama school from the University of Texas.

She would go on to appear in a number of small roles, but she wouldn't make a name for herself until she was cast as unlucky teen Sally Hardesty in the Tobe Hooper-directed film “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” For those that don't recall the plot, Marilyn's character is the only one who survives Leatherface's killing spree.

To put things in perspective, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is the most famous slasher films in Hollywood today, giving Burns a special statute in horror film history. A testament to her fame, Burns was invited to have cameo roles in the sequels for the film, both the one in 1994 and the one in 2013.

Apart from her Texas franchise, Burns also appeared in Hooper's “Eaten Alive” and in the Charles Manson miniseries “Helter Skelter,” where she played the role of Linda Kasabian. As you can see, there aren't that many titles in her career, but her role in the slasher franchise has earned her the nickname the “Queen of Scream.”

The Medical Examiner's Office in Houston confirms they are in possession of the actress' body and they claim that an autopsy will be performed later this week and the results are to be made public at a later date.

Details about what caused her death at just 65 years old are sketchy at the moment, but her family has requested privacy in the matter. The media and the actress' fans are however curious to find the cause of death.

Burns' last movie, according to her online profile, is another horror movie called “Sacrament,” that was released in June 2014.