Linda Lavin, the iconic star of CBS' long-running sitcom "Alice" and a Tony Award recipient for her role in Neil Simon's play "Broadway Bound," who remained vibrantly active both in television and on stage, passed away on Sunday at the age of 87. A representative for Lavin confirmed that the beloved actress had succumbed unexpectedly to complications arising from a recently diagnosed case of lung cancer.
Just recently, on December 4, Lavin had graced the premiere of Netflix's dark comedy series "No Good Deed" at the Tudum Theater in Hollywood, showcasing her enduring vitality and love for the arts. Furthermore, she was poised to co-star alongside Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane in the forthcoming Hulu comedy "Mid-Century Modern," which is currently in the thick of filming its inaugural season. This show is a brainchild of "Will & Grace" creators and executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, along with director-producer James Burrows, for 20th Television.
In a heartfelt joint statement, Kohan, Mutchnick, and Burrows expressed, "Working with Linda was undeniably one of the pinnacles of our careers. She was an extraordinary actress, a mesmerizing singer, a talented musician, and a humorous spirit that lit up any room. However, beyond her immense talent, she was a stunning soul—deep, joyous, generous, and loving. She brought unparalleled joy to our days. The entire staff and crew will mourn her loss profoundly. We are forever enriched by having known her."
Hulu and 20th Television, both integral parts of the Disney umbrella, have jointly paid their respects to the veteran thespian. In a poignant statement issued by the streamer and studio, they expressed, "Our heartfelt and profound condolences extend to Linda Lavin's family and all those who held her dear. She was a living legend within our industry, her incredible talent illuminating audiences for more than seven decades. The 'Mid-Century Modern' family, along with all who knew her, will forever cherish her memory and mourn this immense loss together."
Lavin carved her niche as a beloved character actor through her decade-long portrayal of Alice Hyatt in the CBS comedy series "Alice," an adaptation of Martin Scorsese's 1974 film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," which starred Ellen Burstyn in the titular role. From 1976 to 1985, Lavin brought to life the character of Alice Hyatt, a widowed mother of a young son (portrayed by Philip McKeon), who embarked on a new chapter in Arizona. There, she worked at Mel's Diner, alongside fellow waitresses Flo (played by Polly Holliday) and Vera (Beth Howland), with Vic Tayback donning the role of the diner's eponymous owner.
Her stirring portrayal on the series led to an Emmy nomination in 1979. Additionally, Lavin garnered Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for "Alice" in both 1979 and 1980, and received another nomination in 1981, cementing her status as a formidable talent in the industry.
“Alice” was a top-30 show throughout its first eight seasons, finishing the 1979-80 season at No. 4, before finally dropping off in its last season. The series subsequently appeared in syndication.
In 2015 she appeared in Nancy Meyers’ comedy “The Intern,” starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, and had the films “My Bakery in Brooklyn” and “Manhattan Nocturne” set for release in 2016. In the last decade, Lavin was busy with roles on such series as Netflix’s “No Good Deed” and CBS’ “Elsbeth” as well as the CBS comedy “9JKL.” Other recent TV shots include CBS’ “B Positive,” Amazon Prime’s “Being the Ricardos,” IFC’s “Brockmire,” Netflix’s “Santa Clarita Diet,” CBS’ “Madam Secretary,” “Mom” and “The Good Wife,” Fox’s “Bones” and “The O.C.,” “HBO’s “The Sopranos” and “Room 104” and more. Film roles included 2019’s “Girls Weekend,” 2017’s “How to Be a Latin Lover” and 2010’s “The Back-Up Plan.”
Though Lavin made appearances on television after “Alice,” she was actually more of a stage actress — one who was Tony-nominated six times, for featured actress in a play in 1970 for Neil Simon’s “Last of the Red Hot Lovers”; leading actress in a play in 1987 for Simon’s “Broadway Bound,” which she went on to win; featured actress in a play in 1998 for “The Diary of Anne Frank”; leading actress in a play in 2001 for Charles Busch’s “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife”; leading actress in a play in 2010 for Donald Margulies’ “Collected Stories”; and leading actress in a play in 2012 for Nicky Silver’s “The Lyons.”
Lavin was noted for her charismatic work in both drama and comedy, to say nothing of musicals. When “The Lyons” was still Off Broadway, the New York Times praised her in particular for “the surprising dimensions she finds within one-liners.”
In 1990, Lavin replaced Tyne Daly in the starring role of Rose in a Broadway revival production of the musical “Gypsy.” In 1994, she was a replacement in Wendy Wasserstein’s “The Sisters Rosenzweig,” and in 2002 she starred in “Hollywood Arms,” written by Carol Burnett and her daughter Carrie Hamilton.
After “Alice,” Lavin kept busy with theater work, making only occasional forays into TV. But the Peak TV moment of the past decade kept her busy with a steady stream of guest shots and supporting roles in comedies and dramas. She starred with Patricia Heaton as a sparring mother and daughter on the ABC sitcom “Room for Two” in 1992, and she was a series regular on the brief series “Conrad Bloom” in 1998 and Sean Hayes vehicle “Sean Saves the World” in 2013-14.
She graced the screens of numerous television movies and made guest appearances on a wide array of shows, spanning from the heartwarming "Touched by an Angel" and the youth-oriented "The OC" to the critically acclaimed "The Good Wife" and the gritty "The Sopranos," where she memorably portrayed a psychotherapist visited by Tony Soprano's daughter, Meadow. Her unforgettable guest role in a 2002 episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" saw her transform into a ruthless Jewish matriarch who ordered the murder of her daughter-in-law.
Born in Portland, Maine, to Lucille Potter Lavin, a former coloratura soprano who once sang operatically on stage and radio, Lavin first stepped onto the stage at the tender age of five. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1959 with a degree in theater, marking the beginning of her illustrious career.
In 1962, the actress made her Broadway debut in the Harold Prince-directed musical comedy "A Family Affair," followed closely by "The Riot Act" the very next year. She returned to the Rialto stage in 1966, once again under Prince's direction, for the musical comedy "It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's Superman." During the 1960s, she also starred on Broadway in "Something Different," written and directed by Carl Reiner, and John Guare's "Cop-Out." Her other New York credits during that period include "Oh, Kay!" in 1960, "On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever" in both 1966 and 1973, and "The Enemy Is Dead" in 1973. Additionally, she ventured into television with a 1967 production of "Damn Yankees."
Lavin's television debut came in a 1963 episode of "The Doctors and Nurses." After "Damn Yankees," she starred in a 1969 segment of "CBS Playhouse" titled "Sadbird." Prior to her one-season run on ABC's hit police comedy "Barney Miller" as Detective Janice Wentworth from 1975-76, she made guest appearances on TV movies and shows like "Rhoda" and "Harry O." Following the launch of "Alice" in 1976, she continued to guest on other programs, such as "Phyllis" and "Family."
Throughout the decades, the actress never truly pursued a film career. She did, however, play Kermit's doctor in "The Muppets Take Manhattan" in 1984 and had supporting roles in Alan J. Pakula's "See You in the Morning" and Alain Resnais' Jules Feiffer-scripted "I Want to Go Home" in 1989. Yet, later in her career, she found herself drawn to film. She starred in supporting roles in Alan Poul's Jennifer Lopez-led "The Back-Up Plan" in 2010 and the Jennifer Aniston-Paul Rudd comedy "Wanderlust" in 2012. Her portrayal of an Alzheimer's-afflicted mother in Michael Maren's 2014 film "A Short History of Decay" was particularly noteworthy and praiseworthy.
In 2016, she made her Broadway debut in "Our Mother's Brief Affair," a performance that, despite her talents, was met with a lukewarm reception from Variety. The publication remarked, "Even the esteemed Linda Lavin fails to redeem the deeply unpleasant character she portrays in 'Our Mother's Brief Affair,' a lazily constructed play by Richard Greenberg, originally commissioned and produced by South Coast Rep. Now staged by Manhattan Theater Club on Broadway, this lackluster drama, devoid of dramatic tension, unfolds as a mean-spirited woman, possibly on her deathbed, recounts a closely guarded secret to her unlikable grown children."
During the 2002 run of "Hollywood Arms," Lavin met actor-drummer Steve Bakunas, and the couple tied the knot in 2005. They settled in Wilmington, North Carolina, where they transformed a garage into the Red Barn Studio Theatre, a venue they ran hand in hand. The actress shone on its stage in productions like "Doubt," "Collected Stories," "Driving Miss Daisy," and "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife," among others, while also directing plays across the region.
In 2011, Lavin was honored with induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Her life was marked by three marriages; first to actor Ron Liebman from 1969 to 1981, followed by a union with actor Kip Niven from 1982 to 1992. Lavin's legacy lives on through her third husband, Steve Bakunas.
