Cloris Leachman, Unparalleled Icon, Remembered By Hollywood

Cloris Leachman, a beloved actress and comedian, has died of natural causes at age 94, Leachman enjoyed one of the longest tenures in entertainment. A former Miss American pageant contestant, she began her acting career in 1942, quickly working her way up the stage to Broadway, eventually performing alongside Katherine Hepburn and other theatre notables. She transitioned to television in the early 1950s, where she would go on to star in famed shows as varied as Lassie, The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and even Dancing With The Stars. Her Mary Tyler character, Phyllis Lindstom, got her own spin-off show, Phyllis, in 1975.

In the film, Leachman played varied roles in drama and comedy. Her silver screen credits include Kiss Me Deadly, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, and The Last Picture Show, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1971. Mel Brooks cast Leachman in three of his comedic films: History of the World: Part I, Young Frankenstein, and High Anxiety.

Leachman has the distinction of having the most Emmy nominations of all time, at 22. She won eight Emmys, tying her with Julia Loius-Dreyfus for most Emmys won. Tributes from entertainment poured in to mourn her passing. With such a long career, her influence touched many lives in the industry — and her acerbic wit was fondly remembered.