Linda Lavin, the Tony Award-winning Broadway actress and star of the 1970s sitcom Alice, has died at age 87. She passed away unexpectedly Sunday due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer, her PR rep confirms.
Lavin had been working as recently as December — she was set to star in the upcoming Hulu series Mid-Century Modern. In her last public appearance, she walked the red carpet for the premiere of Netflix’s No Good Deed on Dec. 4.
Lavin began her Broadway career in the 1960s, securing her first Tony nomination in 1970 for the play Last of the Red Hot Lovers. She received a total of six Tony nominations in her career, winning in 1987 for the play Broadway Bound.
In 1976, she landed the title role in the CBS comedy series Alice, based on the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. The show ran for nine seasons and earned Lavin an Emmy nomination.
Most recently, she had a guest starring role in CBS’ Elsbeth and a recurring role on Netflix’s No Good Deed.
Her film roles included Damn Yankees!, The Ring, The Intern and Being the Ricardos.
Lavin is survived by her husband of 19 years, Steve Bakunas.
Here’s a look back at those in the entertainment community we lost in 2024:
January January 4 — Glynis Johns, Mary Poppins actress, 100 January 13 — Joyce Randolph, The Honeymooners actress, 99 January 20 — Norman Jewison, director of Moonstruck, 97 January 29 — Sandra Milo, 8½ actress, 90 January 29 — Hinton Battle, Tony winner, 67 January 30 — Chita Rivera, Tony winner, 91
February February 1 — Mark Gustafson, co-director of Guillermo del Toro‘s Pinocchio, 64 February 1 — Carl Weathers, Rocky actor, 76 February 5 — Toby Keith, country music singer, 62 February 27 — Richard Lewis, stand-up comedian, 76
March March 15 — Joe Camp, Benji creator, 84 March 16 — David Seidler, Oscar-winning screenwriter, 86 March 21 — Ron Harper, Planet of the Apes actor, 91 March 30 — Chance Perdomo, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star, 27
April April 5 — Cole Brings Plenty, Yellowstone actor, 27 April 10 — O.J. Simpson, football star and former murder suspect, 76 April 12 — Eleanor Coppola, wife of Francis Ford Coppola, 87 April 18 — Mandisa, American Idol contestant, 47
May May 2 — Susan Buckner, Patty Simcox in Grease, 72 May 5 — Bernard Hill, played Captain Edward Smith in Titanic, 79 May 9 — Roger Corman, film director, 98 May 16 — Dabney Coleman, 9 to 5 actor, 92 May 23 — Morgan Spurlock, Super Size Me documentarian, 53 May 25 — Richard M. Sherman, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” writer, 95
June June 11 — Tony Mordente, West Side Story actor, 88 June 20 — Donald Sutherland, actor, 88
July July 1 — Robert Towne, screenwriter, 89 July 11 — Shelley Duvall, The Shining actress, 75 July 12 — Dr. Ruth Westheimer, sex therapist, 96 July 13 — Shannen Doherty, Charmed actress, 53 July 13 — Richard Simmons, fitness instructor and TV personality, 76 July 18 — Bob Newhart, stand-up comedian and actor, 94
August August 14 — Gena Rowlands, A Woman Under the Influence actress, 94 August 15 — Peter Marshall, Hollywood Squares host, 98 August 18 — Phil Donahue, talk show host, 88 August 21 — John Amos, Good Times actor, 84
September September 9 — James Earl Jones, actor and EGOT winner, 93 September 26 — John Ashton, Beverly Hills Cop actor, 76 September 27 — Dame Maggie Smith, actress, 89 September 28 — Kris Kristofferson, singer and actor, 88 September 30 — Gavin Creel, Tony winner, 48 September 30 — Ken Page, voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas, 70
October October 16 — Liam Payne, One Direction member, 31 October 25 — David Harris, Cochise in The Warriors, 75 October 29 — Teri Garr, Tootsie actress, 79
November November 2 — Jonathan Haze, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, 95 November 3 — Quincy Jones, legendary record producer, 91
December December 2 — Kyle Birch, rising West End actor, 26 December 22 — Geoffrey Deuel, played Billy the Kid in Chisum, 81
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