Valerie Mahaffey Passes Away at 71: ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Young Sheldon’ Actress Remembered

Valerie Mahaffey, a celebrated actress known for her unique roles in both television and film, has passed away at 71 years old after battling cancer. Her representative, Jillian Roscoe, confirmed her death in Los Angeles last Friday.

Throughout her lengthy career, Mahaffey distinguished herself by portraying eccentric and intricate characters. Her talent was recognized with various awards, notably a Primetime Emmy Award in 1992 for her portrayal of Eve, the neurotic wife of Adam Arkin’s character on the show Northern Exposure. Her performance in five episodes between 1991 and 1994 is remembered as one of the iconic moments in television.

In addition to her work on Northern Exposure, Mahaffey showcased her acting prowess as Alma Hodge, the cunning ex-wife of Orson Hodge played by Kyle MacLachlan, on ABC’s Desperate Housewives from 2006 to 2007. More recently, she captivated a new audience with her recurring appearances as the strict teacher Victoria MacElroy on Young Sheldon (2017–2020) and as the self-absorbed Lorna Harding, the mother-in-law of Christina Applegate’s character on Netflix’s Dead to Me (2019–2022).

Film fans may recognize her from the 2020 dark comedy French Exit, where she starred opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges as the memorably eccentric Madame Reynard. The performance earned Mahaffey a Spirit Award nomination and proved, once again, that she could steal a scene with a single raised eyebrow.

Born in Indonesia on June 16, 1953, Mahaffey spent her early years abroad before moving to the U.S. at age 11. She later graduated from the University of Texas in 1975 and launched her acting career on the New York stage. Between 1976 and 1984, she performed on Broadway six times, with notable turns in Dracula (alongside Raul Julia) and Play Memory, directed by Harold Prince.

She picked up a Daytime Emmy nomination for her early TV work on The Doctors (1979–1980), and earned Obie Awards for her stage roles in Top Girls at the Public Theatre and Talking Heads at Minetta Lane. Onstage, she played Desdemona to Morgan Freeman’s Othello and Juliet to Tom Hulce’s Romeo.

Her TV résumé also includes The Powers That Be, the Norman Lear-produced NBC comedy in which she starred from 1992–93; a recurring guest arc on Glee as Emma Pillsbury’s mom; and a turn as Olivia Rice on Devious Maids. She made memorable appearances on Seinfeld (“The Truth”), Newhart, Cheers, ER, The Mindy Project, Wings, Big Sky, and Apple TV+’s Echo 3.

On the film side, Mahaffey showed her range in everything from Disney’s Jungle 2 Jungle to Oscar nominees like Seabiscuit and Sully. She also appeared in Summer Eleven, No Pay, Nudity, and other indie favorites.

Mahaffey is survived by her husband, actor Joseph Kell, and their daughter, Alice. In a statement, Kell said, “I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses.”