‘Survivor’ star Angie Jakusz dies at 40



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Angie Jakusz, best known as a contestant on “Survivor,” has died after a three-year battle with cancer. She was 40 years old.

She died in the New Orleans area on Friday but the official cause of her death has not yet been announced, TMZ reported. A funeral service was held Wednesday afternoon in Metairie, Louisiana.

A recently launched GoFundMe page in her name revealed that she had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a rare form of colorectal cancer. As of Thursday morning, the crowdfunding campaign had raised $ 255 towards its goal of $ 30,000.

Born Cassandra Anne Jakusz in Waukesha, Wisconsin, she then spent time in San Francisco and New York City before moving permanently to New Orleans, according to her CBS biography. She works there as an artist – using watercolors and found objects – and is a bartender in the French Quarter.

Despite her tons of colorful tattoos, Jakusz’s castaways “Survivor” gave her the nickname “No Fun Angie” when she appeared in the 2005 season of the CBS reality TV pioneer, which was set in Palau. . She competed for the Ulong tribe.

Jakusz, who also starred in the scorching 1998 indie film “Lucinda’s Spell,” actually did a bit of reality TV history on “Survivor,” reported The Sun. She was elected on day 12 – which made her the first candidate to lose in the tribal council’s recall phase.

Despite her young age – she was only 25 when she did the show – Jakusz quickly became a favorite with her tribal mates and audiences.

“People have to remember in 2005 – women weren’t tossed on ‘Survivor’ with dreads and tattoos,” Coby Archa, 48, a ‘Palau’ competitor, told People. “She broke the barrier of casting. Fans have told her story so much. And a lot of people wanted to see her play again for her strength.

She racked up strong performances in various team challenges, but ended up ranking in 13th place when she got the boot. Die-hard fans later spotted her at the show’s 10th anniversary celebration in 2010.

“We had heard from her family three years ago that she was battling cancer,” Archa told the outlet. “We raised money for his treatments. She was not in stardom, just the “Survivor” experience. She came, she played and she returned to her life in New Orleans. She loved her life that way.

Jakusz is survived by her nine-year-old husband, Steven Calandra, and her parents, as well as her brother, niece and nephew.

Angie jakusz
Angie Jakusz poses with the 19 other castaways on “Survivor: Palau” in 2005.
CBS

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