LOS ANGELES: American actress Aamanda Peterson, best known for her role in the romantic-comedy Can’t Buy Me Love opposite Patrick Dempsey in 1987, has died in Greeley, Colorado. She was 43.

Peterson’s body was found at her apartment complex on July 5 after her family did not hear from her in two days. Her cause of death is still unknown. “She had some illness and a sleep apnoea problem that may have contributed,” her father said.

Born in Greeley, Peterson made her first big screen appearance in John Huston’s adaptation of the musical Annie when she was nine. The actress, who became a superstar after playing Cindy Mancini opposite Dempsey in the romantic-comedy, also appeared in films like Joe Dante’s Explorers, The Lawless Land (1988), and Listen to Me (1989).

Peterson also had TV credits, including the 1986 NBC miniseries A Year in the Life, which paved the way for a series of the same name in 1987-88 in which she appeared in all 22 episodes playing Sunny Sisk. Her final screen credit was for the 1994 feature Windrunner. She retired from the entertainment industry in 1994 and had been twice married, the first time to Joseph Robert Skutvik. Peterson is survived by second husband David Hartley and two children.