NEW YORK -- Angela McEwan, who became a professional actress in her 70s and drew acclaim for her role in Alexander Payne's "Nebraska," has died. She was 81.

A publicist for McEwan confirmed Tuesday that McEwan died Sunday from complications due to lung cancer.

The Los Angeles-born McEwan set out early in her life to become an actor but largely gave it up to raise a family and work as a criminal-court Spanish interpreter.

But after her gastroenterologist husband, Guillermo McEwan, retired, McEwan took up acting lessons and landed roles in a handful of TV shows, including "Parks and Recreation," "New Girl" and HBO's "Getting On."

But it was her role as a small-town newspaper editor in 2013's "Nebraska" that captured the most attention. The New Yorker called her scene "the loveliest, most poignant scene in the film."

McEwan is survived by two sons and three grandchildren.