AceShowbiz - British actress Susannah York has died at the age of 72. The star passed away on Saturday, January 15 following a long battle with cancer. Her son Orlando Wells says, "She was an absolutely fantastic mother, who was very down to earth. She was a woman with grace and stature."

"She had advanced bone marrow cancer which she had an operation for. But, last Thursday, she had a scan and then the descent was fast. In the end, her death was painless and quick."

York began her acting career in 1960, starring in "Tunes of Glory" opposite Alec Guinness and John Mills, and went on to appear in movies such as "The Greengage Summer", "A Man for All Seasons", "The Killing of Sister George" and "Battle of Britain".

She received an Oscar nomination for her role in 1969's "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" and took home the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1972 for her part in "Images". York later became a small screen regular in her native Britain, featuring in series' including "Prince Regent", "We'll Meet Again" and "Holby City".

The star was also an accomplished theatre actress, appearing on stage in London and Paris, France throughout her lengthy career, most recently starring in a 2009 production of "The Tennessee Williams Triple Bill" at The New End Theatre in the U.K. capital.

York is survived by her two children, Orlando and Sasha, as well as a grandson and a granddaughter.