'The Collector' Actress Samantha Eggar Dead at 86

Actress Samantha Eggar -- best known for "The Collector," "Doctor Dolittle" and "The Molly Maguires" -- has died, TMZ can confirm.

The lively British actress died peacefully Wednesday surrounded by family at her home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles ... her family tells TMZ. We're told she struggled with a "long illness" before her passing.

Samantha hit the big screen running, earning an Oscar nomination for her breakout role in the 1965 film "The Collector." She went on to have a prolific career, appearing in more than 100 projects on the big and small screens, including voiceover work.

She lent her voice to the "Metalocalypse" TV series in 2012, which served as her last role, per her IMDb page.

In her later years, the "The Brood" actress was active at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills and at Saint Francis de Sales Parish in Sherman Oaks.

She is survived by her actress daughter Jenna and producer son Nicolas Stern, whose father is American actor Tom Stern. The couple was married from 1964 to 1971. She's also survived by her children's spouses, 3 grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

She was 86.