Comedy icon Cloris Leachman died of natural causes at the age of 94 in her home in Encinitas, California.
Her spokesperson Monique Moss confirmed her death to NBC News.
The Oscar-winning actress was best known for playing Phyllis on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’ She was nominated for the Emmy Award 22 times and won eight over the course of her career, tied with Julia Louis-Dreyfus for most individual acting awards in the history of Emmy.
Leachman’s manager, Juliet Green, remembered the late actress as “one of the most fearless actresses of our time … 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.”
The Emmy- and Oscar-winning actress was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1926. She went to Illinois State University and Northwestern University, where she received a degree in drama.
Leachman also received the title Miss Chicago 1946 and acted with the Des Moines Playhouse before she moved to New York.
Because The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Leachman’s character were so popular, she led the cast of a spin-off series called Phyllis, which earned her another Emmy nomination.
Leachman appeared in several movies including ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ with Paul Newman and Robert Redford and in ‘The Chapman Report’ with Claire Bloom, Jane Fonda, and Shelley Winters.
One fan wrote: “rest in peace Ms Leachman, I loved her in High Anxiety……with all these lovely older stars dying, it is fortunate we have their work on record and they will always be remembered with thanks for bringing us so much laughter.”
Another said: “I loved Cloris Leachman! She was a fantastic Actress! She played the first Ruth Martin in the 50’s TV classic LASSIE! She was young and pretty in the Adam 12 series! The Last Picture Show was one of my favorite Cloris Leachman performances! She will be missed!”
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