Actress Katherine Helmond, an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress who played two very different matriarchs on the ABC sitcoms 91裸聊视频淲ho91裸聊视频檚 the Boss?91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淪oap,91裸聊视频� has died, her talent agency said Friday. She was 89.
Helmond died of complications from Alzheimer91裸聊视频檚 disease last Saturday at her home in Los Angeles, talent agency APA said in a statement.
READ MORE:
A native of Galveston, Texas, Helmond91裸聊视频檚 credits date back to the 1950s and she worked steadily in small roles through the decades. But her real fame, and all seven of her Emmy nominations, didn91裸聊视频檛 start arriving until she was nearly 50.
She was probably best known for playing Mona Robinson, Judith Light91裸聊视频檚 mother on 91裸聊视频淲ho91裸聊视频檚 the Boss?,91裸聊视频� which also starred Tony Danza and a young Alyssa Milano.
She won a best supporting Golden Globe for her work in 1989.
91裸聊视频淢y beautiful, kind, funny, gracious, compassionate, rock,91裸聊视频� Milano mourned on Twitter. 91裸聊视频淵ou were an instrumental part of my life. You taught me to hold my head above the marsh! You taught me to do anything for a laugh! What an example you were!91裸聊视频�
On the show, Light was an uptight single mother who hired the 1980s heartthrob Danza to be her live-in housekeeper, and Helmond was her foil, a lover of nightlife, pursuer of men and flaunter of sexuality who would have been at home on 91裸聊视频淭he Golden Girls,91裸聊视频� which ran during the same years.
91裸聊视频淜atherine Helmond was a remarkable human being and an extraordinary artist; generous, gracious, charming and profoundly funny,91裸聊视频� Light said in a statement. 91裸聊视频淪he taught me so much about life and inspired me indelibly by watching her work. Katherine was a gift to our business and to the world.91裸聊视频�
Danza tweeted, 91裸聊视频淲e all lost a national treasure today. No words can measure my love.91裸聊视频�
An only child, raised by her mother and grandmother, who began acting while a girl in Catholic school, Helmond began her professional career in theatre and returned to it often, earning a Tony Award nomination in 1973 for her Broadway role in Eugene O91裸聊视频橬eill91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淭he Great God Brown.91裸聊视频�
She was a favourite of director Terry Gilliam, who put her in his films 91裸聊视频淏razil,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频漈ime Bandits,91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淔ear and Loathing in Las Vegas.91裸聊视频�
In 91裸聊视频淏razil,91裸聊视频� a dystopian comedy from 1985, she played a surgery-addicted woman whose elastic face became one of the most memorable images from the cult film.
Her major break came with 91裸聊视频淪oap,91裸聊视频� a parody of soap operas that aired from 1977 to 1981. She played wealthy matriarch Jessica Tate, one of two main characters on the show, which co-starred Robert Guillaume and was also a breakthrough for Billy Crystal, who played her nephew.
She was nominated for Emmys for all four seasons of the show and won a best actress in a comedy Golden Globe in 1981.
Helmond kept working into her 80s doing mostly voice work, most notably as the Model T Lizzie in the Pixar 91裸聊视频淐ars91裸聊视频� films.
She had a recurring role on 91裸聊视频淓verybody Loves Raymond91裸聊视频� from 1996 to 2004 as the title character91裸聊视频檚 mother-in-law.
91裸聊视频淜atherine Helmond was such a class act and incredibly down to earth,91裸聊视频� tweeted actress Patricia Heaton, who co-starred with Ray Romano on the show. 91裸聊视频淪he was terrific as my mother on 91裸聊视频楨verybody Loves Raymond91裸聊视频� and I looked up to her as a role model.91裸聊视频�
She is survived by her husband of 57 years, David Christian, her half-sister, Alice Parry, and many nieces and nephews, her agency91裸聊视频檚 statement said.
A memorial is being planned.
Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
Like us on and follow us on
