Broadway Actress and Sitcom Star Dies at Age 87

Linda Lavin, a celebrated Tony Award-winning stage actor and beloved star of the sitcom Alice, passed away at the age of 87.

Lavin died in Los Angeles on Sunday due to complications from recently diagnosed lung cancer, her representative, Bill Veloric, confirmed in an email to the Associated Press.

An accomplished Broadway performer, Lavin transitioned to Hollywood in the mid-1970s, where she was cast in CBS’s sitcom Alice, inspired by the Martin Scorsese film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

The sitcom, which aired from 1976 to 1985, saw Lavin portray Alice Hyatt, a widowed mother balancing life as a waitress at a roadside diner near Phoenix while raising her 12-year-old son. Lavin also lent her voice to the show’s theme song, “There’s a New Girl in Town.”

The series popularized the catchphrase “Kiss my grits,” delivered by Polly Holliday, who played Flo, one of Alice’s fellow waitresses. Vic Tayback rounded out the cast as Mel, the diner’s irritable owner and head chef.

Initially struggling in the ratings, the series found its footing after moving to CBS’s Sunday night lineup ahead of All in the Family in 1977. It remained a top 10 show for several seasons and was hailed by Variety as one of television’s greatest workplace comedies.

Even in recent weeks, Lavin remained active in her career. She was promoting the Netflix series No Good Deed and working on the Hulu project Mid-Century Modern, according to Deadline, which first reported her passing.

Born in Portland, Maine, Lavin moved to New York City after earning her degree from the College of William and Mary. She began her career singing in nightclubs and ensemble casts before landing her big break in Hal Prince’s Broadway musical It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman.

Her Broadway successes included a Tony nomination for Neil Simon’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers in 1969 and a Tony win in 1987 for Simon’s Broadway Bound. She also earned acclaim for performances in The New Century, her concert show Songs & Confessions of a One-Time Waitress, and Donald Margulies’ Collected Stories, which brought her another Tony nomination.

Playwright Paul Rudnick, who collaborated with Lavin, praised her on X, writing: “A star in every medium, but pure theatrical genius. Blissfully funny, deeply emotional, and audiences adored her. She never disappointed: I worked with her, and just watching her rehearse and build a performance was an education and the greatest joy.”

In advice to aspiring actors, Lavin emphasized the importance of persistence. “Work brings work,” she told the Associated Press in 2011. “As long as it wasn’t morally reprehensible to me, I did it.”

With her third husband, Steve Bakunas, Lavin transformed an old garage into the Red Barn Studio Theatre in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 2007. The 50-seat venue hosted productions such as Doubt, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Rabbit Hole. Lavin also starred in Charles Busch’s The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, a role that earned her a Tony nomination on Broadway.

Lavin returned to television in 2013 with Sean Saves the World and made guest appearances on shows like Mom and 9JKL.

Her remarkable career spanned decades, leaving an indelible mark on Broadway, television, and the hearts of her audience.