LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who played Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film “South Pacific” and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, has died. She was 93.

Gaynor, one of the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes Thursday morning in Los Angeles, her longtime managers Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press.

“As we celebrate her legacy, we extend our gratitude to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she entertained throughout her long life,” Reyes and Rosamonda said in a joint statement. “Your love, support and appreciation meant so much to her and were a supportive gift in her life.”

Her entertainment career spanned eight decades in film, television and stage, appearing in several notable films, including “We’re Not Married!” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” but she is best remembered for her role in “South Pacific.”

The film adaptation of ‘South Pacific’ received three Academy Award nominations and won for best sound, while Gaynor was nominated for a Golden Globe as best actress.

The role of the lovelorn nurse Nellie, created on Broadway by Mary Martin, was eagerly sought after by Hollywood stars. Sinatra helped Gaynor reach the country.

She was co-starring with him in “The Joker Is Wild,” when one day she got the chance to audition for lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. It was the same day she was scheduled for her biggest scene with Sinatra. When she explained her condition, he told her, “Don’t worry, I will change the schedule.”

Hammerstein was impressed with Gaynor, who had already received approval from director Josh Logan and composer Richard Rodgers. She was cast opposite Rossano Brazzi, about whom she sang “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy.”

“South Pacific” was not the turning point in her career that Gaynor had hoped for, and she shifted her focus from film to television, appearing early on in Donald O’Connor’s variety series “Here Comes Donald” and on CBS’ “The Jack Benny Hour .” In October 1959, she was the only woman to guest star alongside Sinatra, Crosby, Dean Martin and Jimmy Durante on ABC’s “The Frank Sinatra Timex Show” special.

Later in her career, Gaynor reinvented herself as a performing entertainer. Together with her husband and manager Jack Bean, she starred in her own musical revue which attracted wide appeal in theaters in the US, Canada, Great Britain and Australia.

She became the highest-paid female entertainer in Las Vegas and was the first woman to receive the Las Vegas Governor’s trophy for “Star Entertainer of the Year” in 1970.

When touring with a full orchestra, corps of dancers and backstage staff became too cumbersome and expensive, Gaynor slimmed down the production, eventually turning it into a one-woman show. They continued to tour every year until 2002, when Bean’s illness required a break.

“I love touring; I’ve done it for a lot of my life,” Gaynor said in a 2003 interview. “We go back to the same places; it’s like visiting friends. After the show, people come backstage to the dressing room and we renew friendships. We send almost 3,000 Christmas cards every year.”

Born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber (Mitzi is the diminutive of Marlene) in Chicago on September 4, 1931, she was part of a musical family and began singing and dancing at an early age.

In a 2003 AP interview, Gaynor said she has a clear memory of her stage debut. She had taken ballet and tap lessons, and at age 7 she was given a tap routine at the dance school recital. She had neglected to use the bathroom, and when she faced the audience, a puddle formed on the stage.

“I ran off the stage kicking and screaming,” she remembers. “But I got a huge applause. So I dried off and put on some lipstick. After the next girl did a hula hoop with bats and slipped on the wet floor, I went outside and said, “I’m fine now. Can I do it?’ And I got cheers!”

Gaynor and Bean married in 1954 and in 1960 purchased a spacious home in Beverly Hills that became their home until his death in 2006. They rarely appeared at Hollywood events, preferring to entertain a few close friends. The couple had no children.