Acclaimed Actress Linda Lavin has Passed Away at 87

Acclaimed actress Linda Lavin has passed away unexpectedly at the age of age of 87.

©Netflix

Lavin, best known for her starring role on the classic sitcom Alice – – for which she was nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Globes – – passed “unexpectedly due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer” according to what one of her PR representatives told Deadline.

Beyond Alice, Lavin had a long and successful stage career. After beginning her Broadway career with a role in the comic book musical It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman, Lavin earned acclaim for roles in the plays Little Murders and Last of the Red Hot Lovers, the latter of which earned her the first of her respective three Drama Desk Award and six Tony Award nominations. She would eventually win a Tony for Broadway Bound in 1987 and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2010.

Lavin also found great success in television and film. Beyond her aforementioned title role on Alice, she had a recurring role on Barney Miller in the 1970s, and worked steadily since, including appearing on CBS’s Elsbeth and Netflix’s No Good Deed just this year.

©CBS

At the time of her death, Lavin was in the midst of production of Mid-Century Modern, a Hulu series that costarred Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham. According to Deadline, the series had filmed 7 of its 10-episode order before the holiday break. According to the outlet, it’s “unclear how the show will proceed without one of its leads.”

Hulu and 20th Television, the studio behind Mid-Century Modern, issued a joint statement following Lavin’s passing, which read in part, “Our deepest and heartfelt condolences go to Linda Lavin’s family and loved ones,” the companies said. “She was a legend in our industry, bringing her tremendous talent to audiences for over seven decades. She will be forever missed by her Mid-Century Modern family, as we mourn this incredible loss together.”

©Hulu

In addition to Hulu and 20th Television, numerous celebrities and Hollywood figures have begun sharing condolences for Lavin on social media. For example, No Good Deed creator Liz Feldman posted a lengthy statement on Instagram, which read “Getting to work with you once was an honor and a joy. I loved writing for you on 9JKL all those years ago. I just loved YOU. Being around you. In your magnetic orbit. That we got to collaborate again on No Good Deed was simply a gift. You were, as always, incredibly gracious, totally hilarious and pitch perfect. Ready to play and full of life. Your warmth and kindness was unparalleled. I just loved you. We all did. I’m so glad I got to see you a few weeks ago at the premiere and introduce you to my parents. They were thrilled to meet you. And my father made it very clear to me that you were his favorite part of No Good Deed. He wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Thank you for letting me into your stunning orbit. And for allowing me to spin with you for a while.”