Polly Holliday, the actress most renowned for her iconic portrayal of Flo in the beloved sitcom "Alice," has passed away at the age of 88. "I can confirm that Ms. Holliday peacefully departed this world on September 9th at her residence in Manhattan," her talent manager, Dennis Aspland, shared with Fox News Digital.
Born on July 2, 1937, in Jasper, Alabama, Holliday discovered her fervor for acting at a tender age. While pursuing her studies at the University of Montevallo in the late 1950s, she delved into the world of theater, securing her first leading roles in productions such as "The Lady's Not for Burning" and "Medea." "I embarked on my acting journey long before I fully comprehended what I was getting into," she once recounted to Actors’ Equity, as noted by People. "At 19 and a junior in college, I joined the ensemble of a summer outdoor theater in North Carolina, the Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama Center. There, I sang in the choir, square-danced, and even understudied a lead role... The gig covered my room and board and paid around $40 a week."
In the 1970s, Holliday relocated to New York, where she landed her inaugural Broadway role in "All Over Town," helmed by director Dustin Hoffman. However, it wasn't until 1976 that her career soared to new heights when she landed the role of the sassy waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry in the CBS sitcom "Alice." It was here that she coined the now-famous catchphrase, "Kiss my grits." Holliday graced the screens of "Alice" from 1976 to 1980 and subsequently reprised her role in the show's spin-off, "Flo," for two seasons.
"She embodied the archetypal Southern woman you encounter in various settings," she described her character to The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 2003, as reported by The Associated Press. "Not highly educated, but exceedingly sharp, with a keen sense of humor and an unwavering determination not to let life bring her down."
The actress garnered three Emmy nominations for her work on "Alice" and another for her role in "Flo." After bidding farewell to Flo, Holliday continued to grace the small screen with appearances in a multitude of television shows, including "Private Benjamin," "The Golden Girls," and "Home Improvement." She also graced the silver screen in several films, such as "The Parent Trap," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and more.
"I used to believe I had a preference for drama," she confessed to the Tampa Bay Times in 1992. "But I kept finding myself cast in comedies and realized I had a knack for it. Now, I think I lean more towards comedy. It's challenging to pull off, but in a way, it doesn't exact as heavy an emotional toll."
