Mary Louise Weller, Mandy Pepperidge In ‘Animal House,’ Dies At 79

Actress Mary Louise Weller on the set of the Universal Studios movie “Animal House” in 1978. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Mary Louise Weller, who played the snooty Pi House sorority sister Mandy Pepperidge in the John Belushi campus comedy classic Animal House, has died.

“With a heavy heart I share that Mary Louise Weller [‘ML to those that knew and loved her] passed away this morning after a brief illness. The family is asking for privacy & respect at this difficult time. Thank you all for your supportive words & continued kindness,” the actress’ Facebook account announced (via Extra TV).

Weller died on Thursday. Her cause of death was not disclosed. She was 79.

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Weller’s death was also announced by her friend, David Marks on his Facebook page. Marks wrote “Beautiful Mary, friend, actress, model, equestrian, passed away quietly.”

Directed by John Landis, Animal House is set at the fictional Faber College in 1962. Among Weller’s memorable moments in Animal House is the cafeteria scene, where Mandy brushes off a flirtatious Delta Tau Chi frat member Eric Stratton (Tim Matheson) before his raucous frat brother, John “Bluto” Blutarsky (Belushi), starts a food fight. The scene also features a then-relative unknown Kevin Bacon.

Also, as Animal House wraps up, the epilogue notes that Mandy becomes the future “Mrs. Senator Blutarsky.”

In addition to Belushi, Matheson and Bacon, Weller co-starred in the 1979 comedy alongside a huge ensemble of up-and-coming actors, including Karen Allen, Peter Riegert, Martha Smith, Mark Metcalf James Widdoes, Bruce McGill, James Daughton, Stephen Furst and Tom Hulce. John Vernon also stars as Faber’s iron-fisted dean, Vernon Wormer and Donald Sutherland plays a professor, Dave Jennings.

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