Actress Diane Delano dies aged 67

Actress Diane Delano has passed away at the age of 67.

The American actress died at her home in Sherman Oaks, California on Friday 13 December following a battle with cancer, her friend Stepfanie Kramer told Deadline on Monday.

"She was big and bold and brought her sharp wit and perfect comic timing to every role," Kramer praised. "Her earthy and raucous presence enabled her to always own the room. She was one of a kind."

Delano's agent Dennis Sevier also confirmed the news to People, saying, "When Diane entered any room you knew she was there! She was full of life and loved being an actor. She will be missed."

Delano became a household name in the U.S. in the '90s by playing Officer Barbara Semanski in the TV series Northern Exposure, which ran for six seasons from 1990 to 1995.

She also played Roberta 'Bobbi' Glass in Ryan Murphy's short-lived series Popular between 1999 and 2001, FBI agent Hilda Van Beno in the soap Days of Our Lives, and Sister Beech in the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man. She also lent her voice to animated series such as Teen Titans, Rugrats and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Delano appeared in two films earlier this year - the adventure Road to Dreamland and the bluegrass musical comedy Paradise: A Town of Sinners and Saints.