Actress Linda Lavin, best known as the protagonist in the hit 1970s sitcom “Alice” as well as numerous Broadway roles, has died.
She was 87.
The Tony-Award-winning performer died suddenly on Sunday of complications related to recently discovered lung cancer, her rep told Deadline.
Lavin had spent much of December promoting “No Good Deed,” her new Netflix series, and filming “Mid-Century Modern,” a Hulu comedy series in the works, Deadline reported.
“Working with Linda was one of the highlights of our careers,” said “Mid-Century Modern” creators and executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick in a joint statement with director-producer James Burrows, obtained by Variety. “She was a magnificent actress, singer, musician and a heat-seeking missile with a joke. But more significantly, she was a beautiful soul. Deep, joyful, generous and loving. She made our days better. The entire staff and crew will miss her beyond measure. We are better for having known her.”
Growing up in Portland, Maine, Lavin got her start as a child actress. She spent the 1960s on Broadway, earning praise and at least one Tony nomination for her roles in plays and musicals.
After getting noticed in a memorable recurring role in ABC sitcom “Barney Miller,” she was cast to play the title role in “Alice,” a widowed diner waitress trying to make it as a singer. “Alice” took her through 202 episodes over nine seasons, running from 1976 to 1985.
Segueing between Hollywood and Broadway over a 50-year career, Lavin earned a 1987 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her starring turn in Neil Simon’s “Broadway Bound.” She was nominated for numerous Tonys and Emmys, and won several Golden Globe awards. She appeared in several movies, including “The Back-Up Plan” with Jennifer Lopez, and guest-starred in numerous television series.
Lavin’s husband of 19 years, Steve Bakunas, was with her when she died, Deadline noted.
With News Wire Services
