Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer… just weeks after death of her ex David Soul
Actress Lynne Marta died Thursday at the age of 78 at her home in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer.
Marta’s boyfriend Chris Saint-Hilaire confirmed her death The Hollywood Reporter.
Marta spent four decades in show business, with her most prominent work in the films Footloose and Joe Kidd; and on the TV shows Love, American Style, Starsky & Hutch, Barnaby Jones, The FBI and Medical Center.
Marta’s death comes weeks after the death of her longtime lover, Starsky & Hutch actor David Soul, on January 4 at the age of 80.
In 1983 she described their relationship with People as an ‘open relationship’, as Soul was married to actress Karen Carlson at the time.
Actress Lynne Marta died Thursday at the age of 78 at her home in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. Pictured in 1977
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 2 The actress played the role of Lulu Warnicker in the 1984 Kevin Bacon film Footloose](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpeg)
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 4 Bacon played Ren in the hit '80s film](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457293_274_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpg)
The actress played the role of Lulu Warnicker in the 1984 Kevin Bacon film Footloose
The magazine reported at the time that during the Starsky & Hutch years from 1975 to 1979, “David and Lynne lived together but spent time with other people.”
Marta would appear with her late lover in his 1977 special, David Soul and Friends.
Marta was previously married to the late actor Brick Huston from 1968 to 1975. He died in August 2018.
Born on October 31, 1948 in Somerville, New Jersey, Marta was the youngest daughter of father George, who was the state’s air and water pollution commissioner.
The 1972 film Joe Kidd for filmmaker John Sturges starred Marta Elma, the partner of landowner Frank Harlan (played by Robert Duvall), who would catch the attention of the film’s titular bounty hunter character, played by Clint Eastwood.
The actress played the role of Lulu Warnicker, the aunt of Kevin Bacon’s Ren character, in the 1984 film Footloose.
On TV, she also appeared in a number of shows produced by the late Aaron Spelling, including The Mod Squad, Charlie’s Angels, The Rookies, Matt Houston and Vega$.
She had also worked on a number of series produced by the late Quinn Martin, such as The Streets of San Francisco, Dan August, Cannon, Caribe and The Manhunter.
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 6 Marta's death comes weeks after the death of her longtime lover, Starsky & Hutch actor David Soul, on January 4 at the age of 80. Pictured in 1977](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457295_799_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpg)
Marta’s death comes weeks after the death of her longtime lover, Starsky & Hutch actor David Soul, on January 4 at the age of 80. Pictured in 1977
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 8 Marta and Soul were featured in a 1975 episode of the ABC series Starsky & Hutch](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457297_331_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpeg)
Marta and Soul were featured in a 1975 episode of the ABC series Starsky & Hutch
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 10 Marta in 1983, she described her relationship with Davis Soul to People as an](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457300_792_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpg)
Marta in 1983, she described her relationship with Davis Soul to People as an “open relationship,” as Soul was married to actress Karen Carlson at the time.
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 12 Marta was pictured on the set of the 1977 special David Soul and Friends](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457302_625_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpg)
Marta was pictured on the set of the 1977 special David Soul and Friends
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 14 Marta spent four decades in show business, with her most prominent work in the films Footloose and Joe Kidd; and on the TV shows Love, American Style, Starsky & Hutch, Barnaby Jones, The FBI and Medical Center. Pictured in 1977](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457304_166_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpeg)
Marta spent four decades in show business, with her most prominent work in the films Footloose and Joe Kidd; and on the TV shows Love, American Style, Starsky & Hutch, Barnaby Jones, The FBI and Medical Center. Pictured in 1977
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 16 The 1972 film Joe Kidd for filmmaker John Sturges starred Marta Elma, who would catch the attention of the film's titular bounty hunter character, played by Clint Eastwood.](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457306_690_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpg)
The 1972 film Joe Kidd for filmmaker John Sturges starred Marta Elma, who would catch the attention of the film’s titular bounty hunter character, played by Clint Eastwood.
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 18 Marta had appeared in 18 episodes of the series Love, American Style between 1969 and 1970](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457308_6_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpg)
Marta had appeared in 18 episodes of the series Love, American Style between 1969 and 1970
![Lynne Marta dies at 78: Footloose and Starsky & Hutch star passes away after battle with cancer... just weeks after death of her ex David Soul 20 The actress was also close to one of the grimmest events in Hollywood history, as she was a neighbor of My Sister Sam actress Rebecca Schaeffer (pictured), who was murdered in her home on July 18, 1989 at the age of 21. house in Los Angeles. by an obsessed fan](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705457309_16_Lynne-Marta-dies-at-78-Footloose-and-Starsky-Hutch.jpg)
The actress was also close to one of the grimmest events in Hollywood history, as she was a neighbor of My Sister Sam actress Rebecca Schaeffer (pictured), who was murdered in her home on July 18, 1989 at the age of 21. house in Los Angeles. by an obsessed fan
The actress was also close to one of the grimmest events in Hollywood history, when My Sister Sam actress Rebecca Schaeffer was murdered in her Los Angeles home on July 18, 1989, at the age of 21, by Robert John Bardo, a fan who was obsessed with her.
Marta was a neighbor of Schaeffer and testified in Bardo’s trial about hearing the gunshots that claimed the rising actress’s life. Los Angeles Times.
“The door was shaking, the wall was shaking,” she testified in the case. ‘The cat took to the air. I fell to my knees and crawled into the bedroom. Then I heard Rebecca’s first scream.
“She was still screaming while I was talking to 911. By the time I got to the door, she was whining. I opened the little hatch in my door.
“There was a smell I will never forget: the smell of gunfire. It was quiet, except for a slight moan.”
According to THR, Marta is survived by her sister MJ and her cat Mr. Peaches.