Report: Samantha Morton had stroke in '06

LONDON, March 10 (UPI) -- British actress Samantha Morton disclosed in a new interview that she had a stroke in 2006.

Morton, 30, is best known for her roles in "Minority Report," "In America" and "Sweet and Lowdown."

Morton revealed to Observer Music Monthly that she suffered a debilitating stroke after which she spent more than a year re-learning how to walk, People.com said.

The stroke is believed to have been connected to head injuries she sustained when a ceiling collapsed in her home.

"I was near to death," Observer Music Monthly quoted Morton as saying.

She said she learned to walk again with the help of her friend, Spiritualized singer Jason Pierce, who had just recuperated from pneumonia, as well as his girlfriend Juliette Larche.

"Jason and I have been mirroring each other," Morton recalled. "He was really sick and then I had a stroke at the beginning of (2006) ...

"Their friendship knows no bounds. He was the only person I knew who understood what that was like, being near to death. He is very courageous and he helped me get through it all."

The actress and mother of two has since fully recovered, People.com said.