Lorna Raver Dead: Star Trek Icon and Hollywood Favourite Dies Aged 81
Hollywood has lost one of its most distinctive and versatile talents. Lorna Raver, best known for her unforgettable role in Star Trek: Voyager and her scene-stealing performance in Sam Raimi’s cult horror Drag Me to Hell, has died aged 81.
The actress passed away on 12 May, but her death was only confirmed publicly through the “In Memoriam” section of the Summer 2025 issue of SAG-AFTRA’s magazine.
Raver’s career was as diverse as it was enduring. Starting out in off-Broadway theatre, she later moved to Los Angeles, quickly becoming a familiar face on both television and film.
Her CV reads like a roll call of classic series, Desperate Housewives, ER, Boston Legal, Ally McBeal, NYPD Blue, Cold Case, Grey’s Anatomy, Weeds, and Bones, with a steady stream of strong supporting roles that left a lasting impression on audiences.
But it was her 2009 turn as the terrifying Mrs Ganush in Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell that introduced her to a new legion of fans.
In a 2014 interview for Welcome to Our Nightmares: Behind the Scene With Today’s Horror Actors, Raver admitted she went into the audition without fully grasping the genre she was stepping into.
“While I knew of [Raimi’s] work from other films, I was so ignorant of the whole horror genre that I had never even heard of the Evil Dead [movies],” she said.
“I was definitely interested in doing it because of Sam Raimi, but I was not fully aware of exactly what I was getting into until it happened. What I liked about the character was that she was powerful.”
Beyond television and film, Raver also made her mark in the 1997 pilot of The Practice, and in recurring legal roles as a judge in Ally McBeal and Boston Legal. Her range and presence ensured she was always in demand.
Since the announcement of her passing, tributes have poured in across social media.
“Oh dear, another one gone. What a fantastic and talented actor. I smiled at how she approached the role in the film and relished it. Great in everything she did. Rest in peace,” one fan shared.
RIP prayers to the family and friends,” another wrote. “Rest In Peace to stage and screen actress Lorna Raver, the actress best known for her role as the vengeful Mrs. Ganush in the 2009 horror film Drag Me to Hell, has died at the age of 81,” a third tribute read.”
“Rest on peace to Lorna Raver she played the gypsy lady with the cursed button in drag me to hell. Sending my deepest condolences,” another penned.
“RIP Lorna Ravner. Sometimes you only need one role to truly make your career,” a fan noted.
One final tribute summed up the sentiment of many: “R.I.P to Lorna Raver who terrorized Alison Lohman in Sam Raimi’s post 2000s Spiderman trilogy Drag Me to Hell.”
From Broadway beginnings to cult cinema icon, Lorna Raver’s career was marked by unforgettable performances and a rare ability to captivate audiences. She leaves behind a body of work that will continue to inspire — and haunt — for years to come.
