Remembering Linda Lavin: Beloved Actress and Tony Award Winner
Actress Linda Lavin, best known for her starring role as Alice Hyatt in the classic sitcom “Alice,” died Sunday at age 87. She died in Los Angeles of complications from recently discovered lung cancer.
She is a Broadway and television personality. Then she moved to Hollywood in the mid-1970s. She played Alice Hyatt, a widowed mother who works in a roadside diner, that’s become a role model for working mothers.1 The series lasted from 1976 until 1985, ran the show, and it was popular for its memorable catchphrase: “Kiss my grits.”
R.I.P Linda Lavin.
Condolences to her family. So very sorry @bakucando
️ pic.twitter.com/MMZ7kkxUVW— @OfficialTracieBennett (@OfficialTracieB) December 30, 2024
Beyond her work on television, Linda Lavin had a distinguished career in the Broadway theater. In 1987, she received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Neil Simon’s “Broadway Bound.” She was able to work steadily into older age, appearing in promotion of a new Netflix series, “No Good Deed,” and in production on a Hulu series, “Mid-Century Modern.”
This one breaks my heart.#RIPLindaLavinhttps://t.co/src7OJUHaO
— Gary Miereanu (@SuperPRGuy) December 30, 2024
Fans and colleagues alike are lamenting the death of Lavin with expressions of grief and tributes. Show-runners David Kohan, Max Mutchnick, and Jimmy Burrows, who worked with her in “No Good Deed” says she was a magnificent actress, singer, musician, and a beautiful soul. They said they enjoyed knowing her and that she made the best of her days.
Linda Lavin, who was known for many philanthropic efforts including refurbishing homes and creating a community theater in Wilmington, N.C., is survived by her husband, artist and musician Steve Bakunas, and her stepchildren.
Lavin’s legacy will be of her impactful work and the fond memories she created for so many fans. She will have been a talented actress adding joy and inspiration to many through her performances.
