Actor Cloris Leachman, a winner of nine Emmy awards and an Oscar, died of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California, on Wednesday. She was 94. Her daughter Dinah Englund was reportedly by her side when she breathed her last.
Leachman won an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category for her portrayal of a lonely housewife in The Last Picture Show (1971). She won as many as eight primetime Emmys for her comedic work in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and other television series, apart for winning a daytime Emmy Award as well. “It’s been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time,” her representative said in a statement.
Tributes have been pouring in on social media following the comedian's death. Actor Steve Martin wrote on Twitter that Cloris Leachman “brought comedy’s mysteries to the big and small screen.”
“Nothing I could say would top the enormity of my love for you,” wrote actor Ed Asner of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
“Applause on every entrance and exit,” tweeted comedian Rosie O’Donnell.
Jane Lynch posted a throwback picture featuring a young Cloris Leachman, in her online tribute:
Leachman, who was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame in 2011, is best remembered for playing Phyllis Lindstrom on her own spin-off show Phyllis. "There was no one like Cloris. With a single look, she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh 'till the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic," her manager said.
Cloris Leachman was married to George Englund, a film director and producer, and they had five children together. The couple divorced in 1979.
Feature Image Credit: Variety
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