Popular singer Whitney Houston, who starred in five films including The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner, was found dead yesterday in a Beverly Hills hotel. She was 48.
Though she made her name as an actress in The Bodyguard, it was not a critical hit. She garnered more acclaim for Waiting To Exhale, which was widely seen as a breakthrough film in demonstrating that mainstream US audiences would go to see stories about black women. She went on to show a talent for comedy opposite Denzel Washington in The Preacher's Wife.
With her career as a singer in decline, Houston had hoped to break back into the film business. She had recently completed work on Sparkle, a fictionalised version of the story of The Supremes, which is scheduled for release later this year.
The reason for Houston's death is currently unknown, with friends saying she seemed healthy and well in the days immediately beforehand, according to CNN. She had been working as usual and had been seen swimming in the hotel pool. Police do not, however, believe there are any suspicious circumstances.
