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Kim Cattrall Pulls Out Of Lead Role Due To Undisclosed Illness

By Jennifer Deutschmann
Published on: 06:57 PST, Nov 20, 2015

Kim Cattrall recently pulled out of a lead role at London’s Royal Court Theater due to an undisclosed illness. Although the play is set to debut next week, Cattrall said she was forced to abandon the role “at the advice of [her] doctors.”

As reported by BBC News, the 59-year-old actress did not disclose the nature of her illness. However, she and her doctors agree appearing in the play is not worth the risk to her personal health.

Prior to the unsettling announcement, Kim Cattrall was slated to play the lead in Penelope Skinner’s latest play Linda.

As discussed on the Royal Court Theater website, the play is about a woman named Linda Wilde, who is described as “an award-winning business woman” who is “happily married with two beautiful daughters.”

Despite her perceived success, Linda is unsatisfied with her life and “the cracks are starting to show.” As she recently turned 55, Linda is insecure about growing older and the impact it will have on her life.

“Old for a woman means worthless. Invisible. Of course we’re terrified. You tell us we peak at sixteen and it’s downhill all the way from there. Well I haven’t worked this hard to be pushed aside at the last hurdle. I refuse to be silenced. I will not disappear.”

Although the Royal Court is sorry to lose their leading lady, artistic director Vicky Featherstone confirmed Noma Dumezweni is prepared to take Kim Cattrall’s place.

An award-winning actress, Dumezweni joined rehearsal on Friday and is expected to fill the role with “minimal disruption.”

A native of Liverpool, England, Kim Cattrall spent a majority of her childhood in Victoria, Canada. However, as she displayed an early talent, she returned to her homeland to attend the London Academy for Music and the Dramatic Arts when she was 11-years-old.

As reported by Biography, she was later offered a scholarship to attend the American Academy of Arts — where she was discovered and cast in her first movie role.

Although her role in the 1975 film Rosebud was small, it led to appearances in numerous films and television series’ over the next 20 years. However, Cattrall got her big break in 1998 when she was cast to play Samantha Jones in HBO’s Sex and the City.

Between 1998 and 2004, Kim Cattrall appeared in 98 episodes of the popular comedy series. She also appeared in two Sex and the City films which were released in 2008 and 2010.

Following her success with Sex and the City, Cattrall was cast as Dee in the 2009 television series Producing Parker, which ran for two seasons. In 2014, she was cast as Davina Jackson in the 2014 television series Sensitive Skin.

Most recently, Kim Cattrall was cast as Linda Wilde in Penelope Skinner’s latest play Linda. Unfortunately, the talented actress was recently forced to abandon the role to an undisclosed illness.

Throughout her 40-year career, Cattrall was nominated for 22 awards. She also won eight awards, including a Golden Globe, a Banff Television festival Award, a GLAAD Media Award, a Gemini Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

In September, the diverse actress received strong criticism for comments she made about parenting and what defines a parent. As reported by CBS News, Cattrall made the controversial remarks during an interview with BBC Radio.

“I’m a parent, I have young actors and actresses that I mentor. I have nieces and nephews that I am very close to. There is a way to become a mother in this day and age that doesn’t include your name on the child’s birth certificate.”

As the actress does not have any adopted or biological children of her own, she was criticized for comparing her relationships with her mentees and her nieces and nephews with actual motherhood.

Kim Cattrall chose to ignore the backlash and simply move forward with her career. Unfortunately, she recently suffered a setback due to her health. Neither the actress nor her publicists have disclosed the nature or her illness.

[Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images]

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