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Los Angeles, CA—
Brandyn Barbara (Artis) Bunker, an actress, playwright, author, and breast cancer awareness advocate whose career spanned film, television, literature, and the stage, passed away peacefully on March 31, 2025. She was 81.
Artis was best known for her roles in George Lucas’ THX 1138 (1971), the sci-fi TV series Man from Atlantis (1977), the acclaimed drama The Doctor (1991), and the soap opera General Hospital where she brought both presence and emotional depth to the screen.
A woman of extraordinary versatility, Artis was also a U.S. Air Force veteran, playwright, and cancer survivor who turned her personal journey into powerful storytelling. Her autobiographical one-woman play Sister, Girl, drawn from the journal she kept during her breast cancer treatment, was performed across the U.S. and internationally to critical and audience acclaim. Her writing appeared in The Dallas Morning News and The Breast Anthology, and she authored the novel Running Barefoot in Paris.
Artis was the Grand Prize Winner of the Harper’s Bazaar/Estée Lauder “Fabulous at Every Age” contest, a reflection of her timeless style and enduring spirit.
She was the widow of Larry Bunker, a renowned jazz percussionist who played with The Bill Evans Trio and recorded with the likes of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Diana Krall, died in March 2005 at age 76.
Brandyn Barbara Artis Bunker is remembered for her grace, resilience, and the creative force she brought to every chapter of her life. She is survived by her loving daughter Tracy and grandchild Miuccia.
For additional information, contact Karen T. Bolt at (323) 484-6634
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