Selma Archerd: Actress who played Nurse Amy on ‘Melrose Place’ and starred in ‘Die Hard’ film dies at 98

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Selma Archerd, who played Nurse Amy on the popular TV show ‘Melrose Place’ and had a cameo role in the first ‘Die Hard’ movie, died on December 14, her family announced.

She was 98 years old and had a long and varied career as an actress. She was also the widow of Army Archerd, a renowned columnist for Variety.

 From Mrs Claus to Nurse Amy: Selma Archerd’s acting roles

Archerd appeared in many films and TV shows, often playing supporting or cameo roles. She was Mrs Claus in 'Scrooged' (1988), a policewoman in 'Lethal Weapon' (1987) and 'Lethal Weapon 3' (1992), and a hostage in 'Die Hard' (1988).

She also worked with directors like Arthur Hiller, Martin Scorsese, and Richard Donner. She had 51 credits listed on IMDb, starting with a 1973 episode of 'The Brady Bunch'.

She reprised her role as Alice’s sister in 'A Very Brady Christmas' (1988) and 'The Brady Bunch Movie' (1995).

She also played Nurse Amy on 25 episodes of 'Melrose Place' from 1995 to 1999 and guest-starred on other Aaron Spelling productions such as 'The Love Boat', 'Hotel', and 'Charmed' Hollywood Reporter reports.

A love story that spanned decades: Selma Archerd’s marriage to Army Archerd

Archerd was born Selma Helene Fenning on February 26, 1925, in Newark, New Jersey. Her father, Harry, was a telegraph operator and a furrier who moved the family to California in the mid-1930s.

She attended UCLA and married Howard Rosenblum, a military man, in June 1943. They divorced in October 1968. She met Army Archerd, a journalist and columnist for Variety, at a party when she was 16 and he was 19. They reconnected years later and married in November 1969. Their wedding was featured in Ed Sullivan’s column in the New York Daily News.

The couple appeared as one of the celebrity couples on the game show 'Tattletales' from 1974 to 1977. They also played themselves on a 1987 episode of 'The Love Boat.'

Army Archerd wrote for Variety from 1953 until his death in September 2009 after a battle with mesothelioma. He was 87.

Selma Archerd was fiercely protective of her husband’s reputation and legacy. She told the Los Angeles Times in 1999, “I am very proud of him and I am very fierce about protecting the status of what he is.

"He isn’t the richest man in the world, or the most powerful … but what he has, I want respected. And I’ll take the title of pain in the ass so that he will be respected," she added.

 A life well-lived: Selma Archerd’s survivors and legacy

Archerd is survived by her sons from her first marriage, Richard and James, and her grandson, Ryan. She lived in Westwood, Los Angeles, until her death.

She was a supporter of the Exceptional Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. Donations in her memory can be made to the foundation.