Linda Lavin dies at 87 as Broadway and TV star honoured in flood of tributes
Linda Lavin, the Tony Award-winning Broadway star and beloved television actress, has died aged 87.
The veteran performer passed away on Sunday, December 29, due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer, her representative confirmed.
The news came as a shock to the entertainment industry, as Lavin had been actively working until just weeks before her death.
Lavin had been filming episodes for the upcoming Hulu comedy series Mid-Century Modern just weeks before her death.
Her final public appearance was at the premiere of Netflix’s No Good Deed in Hollywood on 4 December.
Throughout 2023, she maintained a busy schedule, guest starring on CBS’ Elsbeth and taking on a recurring role in No Good Deed, which is currently streaming on Netflix.
She had also recently appeared in other television series, including regular roles in “Sean Saves the World” on NBC, as well as 9JKL and B Positive on CBS.
Lavin was perhaps best known for her role as Alice Hyatt, a widowed mother working as a waitress in the CBS sitcom Alice, which ran for nine seasons from 1976 to 1985.
The series, based on Martin Scorsese’s film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, aired 202 episodes and earned Lavin an Emmy nomination in 1979.
Her stage career reached its pinnacle in 1987 when she won a Tony Award for her performance in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound.
The series was consistently popular throughout its run, ranking in the top 30 shows for its first eight seasons and reaching number 4 in the 1979-80 season.
Lavin’s Broadway career spanned more than five decades, earning her six Tony Award nominations throughout her illustrious stage career.
Her first Tony nomination came in 1970 for Neil Simon’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers.
She began her Broadway journey in the 1960s, appearing in It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman and other notable productions.
Her most recent Tony nomination was in 2012 for The Lyons.
She continued to perform on Broadway into her later years, appearing in productions such as Our Mother’s Brief Affair in 2016.
In recognition of her contributions to theatre, Lavin was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2011.
Aaron Kaplan, executive producer of 9JKL, paid tribute to Lavin’s lasting impact on television and her work ethic.
“Alice was one of the many sitcoms that made me fall in love with television; I was eight years old and watched every episode,” Kaplan said.
He added: “Over three decades later, I had the great privilege to work with Linda on JKL and she was the just the most amazing partner — funny and talented and kind and generous.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
22 Kids and Counting family defended as trolls slam ‘sickening’ Christmas haul: ‘Ridiculous!’Five charged in connection with Liam Payne’s death – including close friendITV Who Wants to be a Millionaire fans ‘irritated’ by Jools Holland: ‘Detached from the real world!’
“Linda Lavin was — and will always be — Hollywood royalty,” he concluded.
Lavin’s film career included notable appearances in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) and more recent roles in The Intern (2015) and Being the Ricardos.
She appeared in several other films including See You in the Morning (1989) and Wanderlust (2012).
Her final film performances showcased her versatility, including a praised role as an Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother in the 2014 film A Short History of Decay.
She is survived by her husband of 19 years, Steve Bakunas, whom she married in 2005 after meeting during the 2002 run of Hollywood Arms.
Together, they established and ran the Red Barn Studio Theatre in Wilmington, North Carolina.