Its A Wonderful Life child star Jeanine Ann Roose dies after battling infection

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Jeanine Ann Roose, best known for starring as Little Violet Bick in It's A Wonderful Life, has died aged 84.

According to US news outlet TMZ, Jeanine passed away at her home in Los Angeles after suffering health issues, and battled an "infection in her abdomen".

The outlet further reported that her death was not related to Covid-19.

Jeanine made her name starring in the 1946 Christmas flick It's A Wonderful Life, in which she played a young Violet Bick.

She also appeared on radio shows like The Jack Benny Program aged just eight, and appeared as a character on The Fitch Bandwagon and The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show from 1946 until 1954.

Other radio productions included appearing as Chris in Lux Radio Theatre's production of I Remember Mama, as well as an episode of Mr President starring Edward Arnold.

Jeanine appeared in an unaired TV pilot of Arabella's Tall Tales – but her appearance in the black-and-white flick It's A Wonderful Life would be her only cinematic role, as she did not go into acting as an adult.

The classic festive flick focuses on the story of George Bailey, who always puts his dreams aside to benefit others around him.

When financial struggles hit George, it's up to an angel to intervene and show him how the lives of those in the community would be worse if not for how he lived his life.

The film was based on The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern.

Speaking of her role in the film, Jeanine remarked: "It's A Wonderful Life was the only movie that I was in and it been an amazing lifetime experience to have been in such a collectively meaningful picture."

However, later in life Jeanine decided to undergo a complete career change, attending the University of California and going on to work as a Jungian psychoanalyst later in life.

She married Eugene Richard Auger on September 4, 1964.

Tributes have already begun pouring in for the late star, who died on New Year's Eve 2021. Taking to Twitter, one devastated fan wrote: "R.I.P. Jeanine Ann Roose Little Violet in It’s a Wonderful Life."

Another remarked on the coincidence of Betty White's death the same day, penning: "Two legends passed away on the same day damn."

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