Actress Linda Lavin, Known for ‘Alice,’ Passes Away at Age 87

Alice star Linda Lavin has died. The actress, who was 87, passed on Sunday (Dec. 29).

Lavin’s publicist confirmed to DECIDER that the actress died unexpectedly due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer.

Linda Lavin’s career took off in the ’60s when she began performing on Broadway. She received a remarkable six Tony nominations and won one for her role in “Broadway Bound,” according to Deadline. While she made her first on-screen appearance in 1963 on an episode of “The Doctors and the Nurses,” it wasn’t until the ’70s that her television and film career really took off, notably with “Alice.”

In “Alice,” Lavin played the lead role of Alice Hyatt, a character she portrayed from 1976 to 1985 on the CBS network. This series, which featured Vic Tayback, Beth Howland, Philip McKeon, and Polly Holliday, was inspired by the 1974 movie “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”

Lavin has an extensive list of television credits to her name, including appearances in shows like “Barney Miller,” “Room for Two,” “Conrad Bloom,” “Courage the Cowardly Dog,” “The Sopranos,” “The O.C.,” “Sean Saves the World,” “9JKL,” “Santa Clarita Diet,” “B Positive,” and “Elsbeth.” Wendell Pierce, co-star of “Elsbeth,” paid tribute to Lavin, praising her as “a consummate artist and professional.”

The late actress’ most recent TV credit was in Netflix‘s No Good Deed, which began streaming earlier this month. Per Deadline, she also had started filming an upcoming Hulu comedy series titled Mid-Century Modern. Lavin had shared a picture and a video from shooting the pilot on her Instagram.

Lavin’s film work includes The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), I Want to Go Home (1989), The Back-Up Plan (2010), Wanderlust (2012), The Intern (2015), Bakery in Brooklyn (2016), Manhattan Night (2016), Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019) and Naked Singularity (2021).

Everybody Loves Raymond star Patricia Heaton paid tribute on X to Lavin after her “totally unexpected” death, praising her as “a true friend and a total force of nature.” Criminal Minds star Joe Mantegna also honored Lavin on X, writing, “One of the rarest gifts in life is to make a “new” old friend. Linda Lavin was that for me and my family. Rest in peace dear Linda.”