Lorna Raver, Beloved Character Actress of ‘Drag Me to Hell,’ Passes Away at 81
Lorna Raver, the versatile and acclaimed character actress, most widely recognized for her terrifying portrayal of the cursed Sylvia Ganush in Sam Raimon’s 2009 horror hit Drag Me to Hell, has passed away at the age of 81. Her death was confirmed through the “In Memoriam” section of the Summer 2025 issue of SAG-AFTRA magazine, where her date of passing was listed as May 12, 2025.
A Career Spanning Five Decades
Raver’s extensive career spanned over five decades, accumulating more than 50 screen credits primarily in television, alongside significant work on stage and as an audiobook narrator. While she had a prolific presence across various mediums, it was her indelible roles in supernatural thrillers that often garnered the most attention.
The Enduring Impact of Sylvia Ganush
In Drag Me to Hell, Raver delivered a memorable performance as the enigmatic Sylvia Ganush, an elderly Romani woman who places a powerful curse on bank loan officer Christine Brown (played by Alison Lohman) after being denied a loan extension. This act sets off a harrowing chain of events for Christine. Reflecting on the role, Raver herself noted the profound impact of the character, stating in Jason Norman’s 2014 book Welcome to Our Nightmares, “What I liked about the character was that she was powerful.”
Beyond her standout role in Raimon’s film, Raver also appeared in Matthew Parkhill’s 2009 thriller The Caller. Her television credits included a notable stint on the popular soap opera The Young and the Restless.
Final Roles and Personal Life
The Pennsylvania-born actress made her final on-screen appearance in the 2013 film Rushlights, subsequently retiring from acting the following year. In her personal life, Raver was married to radio writer and producer Yuri Rasovsky. Their marriage lasted from 1987 until Rasovsky’s passing in 2012.
At present, the cause of Lorna Raver’s death has not been publicly disclosed.
