( CNN ) -- Rosemary Murphy , an Emmy Award-winning actress , has died . She was 89 . Murphy died Saturday night at her home in Manhattan , her agent confirmed to CNN . The New York Times cited cancer as the cause of death . Murphy was known for her film role as Miss Maudie Atkinson in the 1962 classic `` To Kill a Mockingbird . '' Murphy played the neighbor to widower and lawyer Atticus Finch , played by Gregory Peck . In 1976 , it was Murphy 's portrayal of Sara Delano Roosevelt , the mother of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt , in the ABC television movie `` Eleanor and Franklin '' that earned her an Emmy . The following year she was nominated for another Emmy when she reprised her role as Roosevelt for the sequel , `` Eleanor and Franklin : The White House Years . '' Murphy also appeared on Broadway receiving Tony nominations for roles in 1960 's `` Period of Adjustment '' as the wife of a Korean War veteran ; as Dorothy Cleaves , a wife who finds out about her husband 's infidelity in `` Any Wednesday '' ; and in `` A Delicate Balance , '' where she played an alcoholic named Claire . `` To Kill a Mockingbird '' now an e-book . She continued to work in television , portraying the mother of presidents . In the 1984 miniseries `` George Washington '' Murphy played Mary Ball Washington , the mother of the nation 's first president . She also portrayed Rose Kennedy , the mother of President John F. Kennedy , in 1991 's `` A Woman Named Jackie . '' Her later TV credits include the long-running soap operas , `` The Young and the Restless '' and `` As the World Turns . '' According to IMDB , one of Murphy 's last roles was for the film `` The Romantics '' with Katie Holmes , Anna Paquin and Josh Duhamel . Murphy 's survivors include a sister , Mildred Pond . Photos : People we 've lost in 2014 .
Murphy played Miss Maudie Atkinson in `` To Kill a Mockingbird '' and won an Oscar for her performance. She also appeared in soap operas .