The Sopranos star Rae Allen dies, aged 95

Allen began her acting career in Broadway theatre productions and won the Best Featured Actress Tony Award for her role in And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little in 1971.

She is perhaps best known for her TV appearances, starring in numerous series over the years, including All in the Family, The Untouchables, Soap, The Patty Duke Show and Car 54.

In 1992, she played the role of Mrs Sokol on Seinfeld and, in 2004, she played her most prominent role of Aunt Quintina Blundetto in HBO series The Sopranos.

Her later TV credits included NYPD Blue and Grey’s Anatomy.

On the big screen, she also appeared in the film adaptation of Damn Yankees as well as A League of Their Own in 1992, Calendar Girl in 1993, Love for Rent in 2005 and Reign Over Me in 2007.

Tributes have been pouring in for Allen on social media following the sad news of her passing.

Star Trek: Picard actor Jonathan Del Arco wrote on Twitter: "Good bye teacher n friend. You lived fiercely and with a sense of humor. I once put my drink down on a coaster while visiting her and noticed it was her Tony! She quipped 'I really gotta get that thing fixed, in the meantime it’s useful don’t you think?'”

"I had the pleasure of representing Rae Allen for over 20 years,’ Allen’s representative Kyle Fritz told The Hollywood Reporter.

"She [was] one the most gifted actresses I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I will be forever grateful to have been a part of her incredible journey."

Allen is survived by nieces Laura and Betty Cosgrove, her adopted family, and friends April Webster and Lisa Ann Gold.