Alice star Linda Lavin has died. The actress, who was 87, passed on Sunday (Dec. 29).
Lavin’s publicist confirmed to DECIDER that the actress died unexpectedly due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer.
Lavin started a career on Broadway in the ’60s, leading her to six Tony nods and a win for her performance in Broadway Bound, per Deadline. She earned her first on-screen credit in an episode of The Doctors and the Nurses in 1963, though her TV and film career ramped up in the ’70s with Alice.
Lavin starred as the titular role of Alice Hyatt in Alice, which aired on CBS from 1976 through 1985. The series, which was based on the movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), also starred Vic Tayback, Beth Howland, Philip McKeon and Polly Holliday.
Lavin’s slew of TV credits includes Barney Miller, Room for Two, Conrad Bloom, Courage the Cowardly Dog, The Sopranos, The O.C., Sean Saves the World, 9JKL, Santa Clarita Diet, B Positive, and Elsbeth. Elsbeth star Wendell Pierce honored Lavin on X, describing her as “a consummate artist and professional.”
The late actress’ most recent TV credit was in Netflix‘s No Good Deed, which began streaming earlier this month. Per Deadline, she also had started filming an upcoming Hulu comedy series titled Mid-Century Modern. Lavin had shared a picture and a video from shooting the pilot on her Instagram.
Lavin’s film work includes The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), I Want to Go Home (1989), The Back-Up Plan (2010), Wanderlust (2012), The Intern (2015), Bakery in Brooklyn (2016), Manhattan Night (2016), Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019) and Naked Singularity (2021).
Everybody Loves Raymond star Patricia Heaton paid tribute on X to Lavin after her “totally unexpected” death, praising her as “a true friend and a total force of nature.” Criminal Minds star Joe Mantegna also honored Lavin on X, writing, “One of the rarest gifts in life is to make a “new” old friend. Linda Lavin was that for me and my family. Rest in peace dear Linda.”
The post R.I.P. Linda Lavin: ‘Alice’ Star Dead At 87 appeared first on Decider.
