Amanda Peterson dies aged 43 after suffering from 'several medical issues'

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Amanda Peterson who shot to fame as a teenager with the film Can't Buy Me Love has died at the age of 43
Peterson got her start on the classic film Annie before going on to star opposite Ethan Hawke in the sci-fi fantasy picture Explorers
She left Hollywood in 1994 and moved back home, later marrying her second husband David Hartley and having two children
She was discovered at her home in Greeley, Colorado on Sunday by police responding to a well-being call
Her father said she had 'several medical issues' over the past two years, including pneumonia, sinusitis and sleep apnea

By Ross Mcdonagh For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:56 EST, 6 July 2015 | Updated: 07:16 EST, 7 July 2015

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Amanda Peterson, star of the 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love, has died at the age of 43.

Her body was discovered at her home in Greeley, Colorado after she had not been seen for the past few days.

Police responded to her home at around 6pm Sunday to check on her during a well-being call after there was a report she had missed an appointment.

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RIP: Amanda Peterson, star of the 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love (above), has died at the age of 43

Early days: She left Hollywood in 1994 (above in Can't Buy Me Love) and moved back home, later marrying her second husband David Hartley and having two children

Her father James confirmed to TMZ that they had become concerned when they didn't hear from her for two days.

And while the cause of death has yet to be released, her dad said that she had been suffering from 'several medical issues' over the past two years, including pneumonia, sinusitis and sleep apnea.

'She had some illness and a sleep apnea problem that may have contributed,' he said.

He added that she had at one stage been living in a house with mold issues, but that she had moved out around a year ago.

The Tribune reported that her door was unlocked when officers arrived and found her dead inside the house on Sunday evening.

An autopsy was being performed on Monday.

Peterson most famous role was opposite Patrick Dempsey in the 1987 teen romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love.

It it she played cheerleader Cindi Mancini, whom nerdy high-school student Ronald Miller (Dempsey) pays $1,000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.

In the end, the two wind up falling in love.

The film became an instant classic among teenagers, much like many of the John Hughes movies of the same time period.

It also made Peterson a star at a very young age, even earning her a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy.

Amanda Peterson on her home and work life in 1987 interview

McDreamy: Her most famous role was opposite Patrick Dempsey in the teen romantic comedy (above), in which she plays cheerleader Cindi Mancini

The late Amanda Peterson stars in film Can't Buy Me Love

She began her film career aged nine as one of the orphans in Annie, having auditioned for and almost landing the lead role.

Her part was supposed to be minor and largely background, but she gained notice with her delivery of just one line during the film's popular song 'Sandy.'

At age 14 she starred alongside River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke in the sci-fi fantasy Explorers, which was both boys' film debuts.

Phoenix would die as a result of drug-induced heart failure less than 10 years later at the age of 23.

She also appeared in episodes of Father Murphy, Silver Spoons, and played Sunny Sisk in the NBC drama series A Year In The Life.

For her work on Life she won the Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Drama Series prize at the 1988 Young Artists Awards.

Her last movie was the 1994 fantasy/family film WindRunner, after which she decided to leave the entertainment industry and move to Colorado.

Just a few years before that she also had a bit part on Doogie Howser M.D., the show that first introduced the word to Neil Patrick Harris.

Big beginnings: At age 14 she starred alongside River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke in the sci-fi fantasy Explorers, which was both boys' film debuts.

According to her IMDb profile, she began studying for a Masters degree at Colorado State University in 2011, and was working on her autobiography.

She is survived by her husband David and their two children, and was one of three children born to Sylvia and Dr. James Peterson.

It is not known where her husband and children were over the weekend.

Her first marriage to Joseph Robert Skutvik ended in divorce.

Even early in her career she seemed to enjoy Colorado more than Hollywood, saying during one interview in 1987 while promoting Love; 'I separate both of those lives also because I’m from Colorado, so I have two different lives basically.

'Yes, it’s true, you have to be popular in this business in order to get work ... That’s called "being well-known."

'But it’s different when you separate that from life and work. Work is different, because you have to do it in essence.'

Countless celebs shared their sadness over Peterson's death on social media Monday.

'When I was younger, I used to want to be #AmandaPeterson. I even asked my mom for a white leather fringe jacket #RipAmandaPeterson,' wrote Sarah Michelle Gellar.

'Cindy Mancini was my first crush. RIP Amanda Peterson,' said Scrubs and Clueless star Donald Faison.

Scott Foley meanwhile took to Twitter, writing; 'RIP Amanda Peterson. The teen in me is heartbroken.'