Oscar-nominated actress Eileen Brennan dies at 80

The Academy Award nominee Eileen Brennan, the actress who was best remembered for playing a tough drill captain in comedy "Private Benjamin" , died in California, Sunday morning at the age of 80.

The actress, who received a nomination for best supporting actress Oscar for her role in the comedy, died at Burbank after battling bladder cancer, local entertainment media reported.

A Los Angeles native, Brennan was featured as a regular on the "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," a television comedy in the late 1960s. In 1971, she played a break-out role as the good-hearted Texas waitress in Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show".

Her acting was so impressive that Bogdanovich cast her in three other films, including "Daisy Miller" (1974), "At Long Last Love" (1975) and "Texasville" (1990).

Brennan earned a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for playing opposite comedienne Goldie Hawn in "Private Benjamin." She also garnered an Emmy for reprising the role in a CBS series.

The actress starred in more than 70 films and television series including "The Sting" (1973)," Murder by Death" (1976), "Clue" (1985), "The Love Boat" (1977-1986) and "ER" (1994-2009).