Annie Wersching, ‘24’ actress, passes away at 45

Annie Wersching, seen here 2019, has passed away.
Annie Wersching, seen here 2019, has passed away.

CNN — Actress Annie Wersching passed away of cancer early Sunday morning, her publicist, Craig Schneider told CNN. Wersching was 45 years old.

She was best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series “24.”

Wersching’s husband, Stephen Full, released a statement to CNN:

“There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall.

“As I drove our boys, the true loves of her life, down the winding driveway and street, she would yell BYE! until we were out of earshot and into the world. I can still hear it ringing. Bye my Buddie. ‘I love you little family…’”

Wersching also provided the voice for Tess in “The Last of Us” video game. Neil Druckmann, the creative director of new HBO Max series “The Last of Us” based on the game, tweeted on Wesching’s passing:

“Just found out my dear friend, Annie Wersching, passed away. We just lost a beautiful artist and human being. My heart is shattered. Thoughts are with her loved ones.”

(CNN and HBO Max are both part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.)

GoFundMe was set up by “Handmaid’s Tale” actress Ever Carradine in support of Annie’s children and husband “so they can continue to live life in a way that they know would make Annie proud.”

Wersching regularly appeared in television dramas throughout the aughts and into the 2010s. In 2007, she played Amelia Joffree on the long-running ABC soap “General Hospital.” Her breakout role came in 2008 when she portrayed FBI agent Renee Walker on the hit Fox show “24,” starring alongside Keifer Sutherland throughout the seventh and eighth seasons.

Some of Werching’s other notable TV credits include her role as the love interest of Harry Bosch (Michael Connelly) on Amazon Prime’s 2014 series “Bosch” and a recurring role as the villainous vampire Lillian Salvatore on the CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” in 2015.

Portraying the Borg Queen in “Star Trek Picard” in 2022, Wersching frequently shared photos of herself from set in full costume accompanied by messages of gratitude for the makeup and prosthetics artists that transformed her into the intergalactic villain. Wersching’s role in “Star Trek Picard,” which airs on Paramount+, is listed as one of the actress’s last professional credits on IMDb.