‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ star Jeanine Ann Roose dies at 84

Actor Jeanine Ann Roose known for playing Little Violet Bick in the cult classic film `It’s a Wonderful Life` has passed away at the age of 84. Deadline confirmed that Roose died on December 31, Friday at her Los Angeles home after battling an infection. Roose worked as a child actor in the 1940s and `50s. She became popular after playing the role of Little Violet Bick in the 1946 Christmas classic `It`s a Wonderful Life’.

The actor landed her first acting role at the age of eight on comedy `The Jack Benny Program`. Her acting credits also include `The Fitch Bandwagon’ and `The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show` from 1946 to 1954.Roose also had radio appearances in the `Lux Radio Theatre` production of `I Remember Mama` and an episode of `Mr President`.

She also starred in the unaired television pilot Arabella’ s ‘Tall Tales’ Her acting career came to a close when she enrolled at UCLA and later became a Jungian psychoanalyst.

The actor later reflected on her role on It’s A Wonderful Life and her decision to move on to a career other than acting. "It`s A Wonderful Life was the only movie that I was in and it has been an amazing lifetime experience to have been in such a collectively meaningful picture," she was quoted as saying.

However, she said, "It became clear that my desire was specifically to help others who were struggling with finding meaning in their life -- not unlike Clarence in the movie who helps George see the meaning of his life.” Roose married Eugene Richard Auger in 1964. The couple had a son, Joe, who was with her when she died.