David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage Joanna "Jo" Bacon, who memorably played Martine McCutcheon's onscreen mother in 2003'sLove Actually, has died at 72 The United Kingdom-based Harlow Theatre Company announced Bacon's death in a recent statement, noting that she died on June 14 "following a short and brave battle with cancer" "Many of our members will remember Jo and her force of nature, her wit, her fun, her passion and her natural ability as an actor," the theatre company wrote Joanna "Jo" Bacon, the actress perhaps best known for her memorable role in 2003'sLove Actuallyand the FX seriesBreeders, has died. She was 72. United Kingdom-based Harlow Theatre Companyannounced in a recent statementthat Bacon, a longtime member of the theatre company, died on June 14 "following a short and brave battle against cancer." "Many of our members will remember Jo and her force of nature, her wit, her fun, her passion and her natural ability as an actor," the theatre company wrote in a statement. "She became a member of Harlow Theatre Company at its inception in 1978. She appeared in many plays in iconic roles such as Portia inThe Merchant of Venice, Maddie inDirty Linenand Beverly inAbigail's Party,along with reviews, musicals and pantomimes all at the Harlow Playhouse." Universal Pictures Bacon appeared in 49 onscreen roles between 1991 and 2024. She made her screen acting debut in 1991 episodes of the seriesPerfect ScoundrelsandMindersand made her film debut in 2001'sLast Orders. In 2003'sLove Actually, Bacon portrayed the mother ofMartine McCutcheon's character Natalie - the ensemble Christmas-themed romantic comedy involves a plotline that sees McCutcheon's character fall in love withHugh Grant's character David, the U.K. prime minister. As the Harlow Theatre Company noted in its statement, Bacon achieved "considerable success" as a professional actor after leaving her job at a publishing company. "Her first job was as Jane in Nell Dunn'sSteamingat The Dukes Theatre in Lancaster and an early film appearance was as Natalie's mum inLove Actually," the statement read. "Jo went on to appear at, amongst others, Hampstead Theatre, The Sheffield Crucible, Stratford East and the National Theatre. She popped up on our televisions many times in various drama series. Her most notable role lately was as Jackie in four series ofBreedersand as Phylis inMoonflower Murderswith Lesley Manville. Her next job was to be a character in Sharon Morgan's next seriesMandy." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Mark Johnson / FX / Courtesy Everett Outside of the television seriesBreeders, Bacon most recently appeared in the 2021 moviesShe Will,BenedictionandMourning Sickness. Her last onscreen credit came for six episodes of the 2024 crime miniseriesMoonflower Murders. "Jo will be sadly missed and fondly remembered. She continued to support HTC attending many of our productions," Harlow Theatre Company's statement added. "She would settle herself in the front row with a notebook and watched with a critical eye and her passion for theatre. She never forgot to praise our work. Thank you, Jo." Read the original article onPeople