'Can't Buy Me Love' Star Amanda Peterson Dies at 43

She starred opposite Patrick Dempsey in the teen romantic drama.

Actress Amanda Peterson, best known for the 1987 romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love, has died. She was 43.

Her father told TMZ the actress was found in her Greeley, Colo., home on Sunday. He said an official cause of death is unknown, but that "she had some illness and a sleep apnea problem that may have contributed."

Peterson starred opposite Patrick Dempsey in Can't Buy Me Love, in which she played cheerleader Cindy Mancini. She also starred opposite Ethan Hawke in the family sci-fi adventure film Explorers (1986). Other credits include an episode of Doogie Howser, M.D., and 22 episodes of the NBC drama A Year in the Life (1987-88), in which she played Sunny Sisk.

Her last credit was the 1994 fantasy/family film Windrunner. She had retired from the entertainment industry and had been living in Colorado for years at the time of her death. She did pose for some photos (below) in 2012, which are some of the only recent publicly available photos of the actress.

Photos courtesy of Ryan Hartsock of KR Productions/Twisted Pixels Photography